- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Waratahs lost another prop and the Brumbies lost contact with the Super rugby finals as NSW scored a grinding 19-12 win in a dour Australian derby at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
In wet and slippery conditions, a Waratahs regular season record crowd of 40,271 witnessed an arm wrestle with both teams largely favouring a field position game based on kicking.
The result kept NSW in fifth spot and moved them six points clear of the Brumbies with three rounds remaining.
“It keeps us in touch with that top four and gives us plenty to play for over the next three weeks,” NSW coach Chris Hickey said.
Hopeful of getting back prop Benn Robinson (forearm), hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (shoulder) and centre Rob Horne (buttock) next week, Hickey revealed Wallabies prop Sekope Kepu was likely to miss the next two matches with a calf strain.
A bonus point ensured the Brumbies clung onto sixth on points differential ahead of the Hurricanes, but left them at least seven points adrift of fourth with only a mathematical chance of making the semi-finals.
Numerous scrum and breakdown penalties awarded by referee Steve Walsh added to the frustration, especially for the Brumbies.
Brumbies captain and No.8 Stephen Hoiles sought a number of clarifications from Walsh, who on one occasion dubiously penalised the No.8 for playing on and then pinged him 10 metres for disputing the decision, which gave Halangahu a far less testing kick.
“It was pretty good him talking the way he did, because it gave us another 10 metres and then we were able to put the kick over and the kick only went over by about two metres, so that was a pretty important kick in the context of the game,” NSW skipper Phil Waugh said.
Hoiles, who along with Brumbies coach Andy Friend was adamant Adam Ashley-Cooper shouldn’t have had a try disallowed for a double movement, said he didn’t swear at Walsh.
“I just suggested it was a rubbish decision and he just marched me. I shouldn’t have said that,” Hoiles said.
“I’m not saying that he cost us the game, I just felt that the Waratahs in that style of footy are one of the best teams in the comp at grinding out a win.
“The overall consensus was we just felt we weren’t getting rewarded for an effort, we were trying to have a crack.”
NSW scored ten unanswered points after the break against a Brumbies side which failed to solve their season-long conundrum of converting possession into points.
The game produced just one try, when NSW winger Lachie Turner got ahead of his injured Brumbies counterpart Alfie Mafi and reeled in a chip kick from centre Berrick Barnes with one hand to cross in the 50th minute.
Halangahu nailed the conversion and all four of his penalty attempts, while opposing five-eighth Matt Giteau landed four of his six penalty shots.
Halangahu booted NSW to a 9-0 lead. Giteau missed his first penalty, but nailed his next three to force a 9-9 halftime tie.
He potted a penalty just after the break to nudge NSW ahead again, before Turner finished off one of the few try scoring opportunities in the game.
Giteau landed a 62nd minute penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points.
The desperate Brumbies rarely threatened to produce the season-saving tries they needed against an NSW team happy to go from set piece to set piece and wind the clock down.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.