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Thanks to a barnstorming second half by Bernard Foley, the Waratahs turned a 25-6 half-time deficit into a miraculous 32-25 victory at AAMI Park last night.
Foley missed the first four Super Rugby games with concussion, and he took 45 minutes to get back into stride with the Rebels in full control.
Reece Hodge was the Rebels catalyst going into the break with two tries, two conversions, and two penalties to his name worth 20 points.
Then Foley fired and Hodge nor his team could score another.
With good clean ball from his forwards, and Jake Gordon’s excellent service, fly-half Foley set his backline alight, even though they still made far too many elementary errors.
But mistakes could be covered when the Waratahs enjoyed 75 per cent possession, a whopping 82 per cent territory, and a penalty count that ended up 17-7 in the Waratahs favour.
What the hell, at last the Waratahs had a concentrated crack, and most of their efforts were either raiding the Rebels’ line or scoring four tries, the last two at the death to snatch the win.
But there’s no way coach Daryl Gibson could feel on top of the world.
For a roster that boasts 13 Wallabies, it’s simply not good enough.
Turning back the clock, the Waratahs fell over the line line 19-13 in the opener, winning ugly.
Then they were hammered 56-36 by the Lions and 37-14 by the Sharks in South Africa – 93 points to 50, prompting Waratahs captain Michael Hooper to say the tour was a success on the training paddock.
A fat lot of good that was where it counted. so the Waratahs returned for the big local derby against the Brumbies and another 28-12 loss that should have been bigger except the Brumbies weren’t too crash hot either.
And it looked desperate last night when the Rebels led by 19 points, and in total control.
Did the Rebels run out of puff, or did the Waratahs lift incredibly well?
I’d have to go with the latter with the exception of 18 turnovers to 12.
But the Waratahs made 162 runs to the Rebels’ 79 that translated to 741 metres to just 343, and the Rebels sure helped by missing 39 tackles to 19.
So the Waratahs survived, and it was good to see Jake Gordon go so well ahead of Wallaby half Nick Phipps, and to see Cameron Clarke come off the bench and look so at home in the centres.
Clarke was one of the few in the Australian Sevens in recent years who deserved to wear the gold jersey,
So the Crusaders are next up for the Waratahs, the real litmus test.
Anything less than last nights second half, and those marauding Crusaders will rattle up a cricket score.