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Brilliant Waratahs stay on top of Australian Conference - for now

27th May, 2016
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Bernard Foley and the Waratahs played their hearts out against the Chiefs. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
Expert
27th May, 2016
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With skipper Michael Hooper and Israel Folau crossing for two tries apiece at Allianz Stadium last night, the Waratahs stayed on top of the Australian Conference with a courageous, and at times exhilarating, 45-25 win over the Chiefs.

Tonight in Canberra, the Brumbies need to win by more than 38 points over the Sunwolves to topple the Waratahs off the Conference lead.

But last night, there wasn’t a Waratah in the starting line-up who didn’t deserve a huge pat on the back.

If you didn’t know the score in the first half, and just watched the game with no sound, the Chiefs would have been a mile in front. They owned 80 per cent possession, and the bulk of territory.

But the Waratahs led 17-13 at the break and the Chiefs must have felt morally devastated.

The Waratahs tackled their hearts out as wave after wave of superb rugby from the Chiefs kept hammering away.

Led by Hooper who tackled anything that moved, or looked like moving, while Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau who wasn’t recognisable with closely cropped hair, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, Dave Dennis, Dean Mumm, and even Wycliff Palu busted a gut defending their line.

When the pack did get the ball in hand they gave swift service to a backline hell-bent on running.

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It was the best Waratahs performance of the season, deserving of more than the 18,175 in the stands who made enough supportive noise of a 60,000 crowd.

Passes stuck, support didn’t run offside to the ball carrier, and first tackles were made, and if that rarely failed, the second defence line halted the move.

Half Nick Phipps had another blinder, giving Bernard Foley service to run onto. Rob Horne was very effective midfield, while Folau was simply sensational.

He set the scene in the ninth minute with a length of the field intercept, and late in the second half he trailed Phipps close to the line to pick up his second.

Hooper’s first was thanks to Phipps sending Skelton on a sensational 20 metre bust midfield, and as the skipper loomed, the big bloke slipped a perfect pass for Hooper to score under the post.

Again it was Phipps who slipped a quick short pass close to the line for Hooper’s second in the second half.

The other tries were scored by rookie fullback Andrew Kellaway, and young flanker Jack Dempsey off the bench as a result of big busts by Dennis and Mumm.

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In short it was exciting to watch the Waratahs play the running rugby they have been so capable of showing on a regular basis, but so often fell short.

And Foley landed seven of nine attempts to put the icing on the cake.

What made the win so palatable was referee Jaco Peyper only twice penalised the Chiefs backs who were constantly offside. There were no Usain Bolts in the backline, but they were constantly catching the Waratah backs well inside the advantage line.

The Waratahs beat 16 on the field, which made the result even sweeter.

The only other debits were Foley twice failing to find touch under pressure, and failing to find touch from a penalty possession really counted.

And bench half Matt Lucas throw two passes that were a sniff away from intercepts when the Chiefs were still in the hunt.

But those were small change in the big picture where Waratah coach Daryl Gibson can feel well pleased with his troops, while defence coach Nathan Grey could have easily been rated man of the match.

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