The NSW Waratahs were booed off Allianz Stadium after slumping to a humiliating 26-24 home loss to Super Rugby’s hapless Kings.
Plumbing new depths, the Waratahs lamely surrendered a 17-0 lead with a listless display in front of exasperated fans on Friday night.
The Kings are the competition’s dead men walking, consigned to the scrapheap in 2018 as part of SANZAAR’s restructuring to 15-teams after managing just three wins in the past season and a half.
But the South Africans may well have sounded the death knell on the Waratahs’ finals hopes after reversing a record 72-10 loss to NSW in the two sides’ only previous meeting, in Port Elizabeth four years ago.
“It was a pretty embarrassing performance from us,” Waratahs captain Michael Hooper said.
“There was a lot of talk, not much action … It’s going to be a tough weekend.”
Hooper laid the blame squarely on the NSW forwards and admitted the Tahs were suffering a crisis of confidence.
“There are scrum errors, lineout errors and then there is just handling – where does it stop?” the skipper said.
“It is probably just us not being confident at the moment.
“So it is probably a mental thing coming in to the game at the moment and it is tough to put my finger on what it is right now.”
Looking to cash in on the Brumbies’ heavy loss to the Hurricanes earlier on Friday night in Napier, the Waratahs looked on track for a desperately needed bonus-point win after opening up a sizeable lead with three first-half tries.
But the Kings had other ideas, racking up 26 points to clinch a memorable first win on Australasian soil before the Waratahs grabbed an after-the-siren bonus point with a consolation try to Taqele Naiyaravoro.
Powerhouse winger Naiyaravoro had opened the scoring with the first try of the night after Israel Folau tapped back a clever cross-field kick from Bernard Foley.
When winger Rob Horne and fullback Cam Clark both followed up with 99-metre tries, Waratahs fans could not have imagined such a collapse.
The depressing defeat leaves the Waratahs languishing eight points adrift of the Brumbies on the Australian conference ladder ahead of next Saturday’s must-win derby with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
Coach Daryl Gibson is taking full accountability of the Waratahs’ woes and is bracing for the inevitable questioning of his position.
“That is the team not at its best and that is my responsibility – every time they go out there is for them to be at their best,” he said.
“Every time the team goes out there, of course I feel the pressure. We all feel the pressure.
“With the team in the situation that it is in, those questions are going to be asked. I am going to cop it. Those decisions are beyond my control.”
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
14,000 plus at the Force game last night.
Bfc
Guest
Are the TAHS players really "light years ahead of the Kings."? Not on this evidence...the Kings have scored a lot of tries in their 3 matches in Oz, and the TAHs two tries in this game came pretty much against 'the run of play'... Still cannot fathom how Mumm and Skelton got an ARU top up contract...
Damo
Guest
Only a 10,555 crowd too
Kiwi In WA
Guest
Perhaps the problems are that Givson is trying to change the way the Tah's play and the players are too used to playing Chiekaball that the players are not responding to his methods. I agree Gibson should go because something is not working. But if the solution is to have the Wallabies coach come back and give the boys a rev up, what does that tell you about the players??
Oscar Redding
Roar Rookie
As well as the slight difference in ability that may exist between the Canes and the Kings...... and maybe the Horses playing away and the Tahs being on home soil.
P B
Guest
Problem is, 17-0 flattered the tahs, 2 of their tries were reverses against run of play from being hard on their own goal line.
Barbara
Guest
Never mind the woeful Watatahas. Big congratulations to the Southern Kings. Well done lads.
John Scott
Guest
Cut the Waratahs , Keep The Force !
Old Bugger
Guest
Ooops....good question??
jonnyacidseed
Roar Rookie
Are we assuming Shirley is a bloke?
PiratesRugby
Guest
And yet the Waratahs will dominate Wallaby selection. Go figure.
jonnyacidseed
Roar Rookie
Correct. They escape mention (for the time being), because they staged a brilliant 10 min comeback and took the lead into the break. Seems the blinkers are on for that game and the ass kicking they took in the second half is ignored. PLUS, the Wallatahs got owned by the KINGS which sorta steals all the limelight for the moment.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
I would suggest the scribes who would have penned the article you are looking for, are yet to be released from the care of a mental health physician. Thus they haven't yet published their sad sad tale.
ClarkeG
Guest
" We all know that quality of player wise they are light years ahead of the Kings " you said. Really? Light years? Appears to me that there is a whole bunch of players in that Kings team that are of similar quality to many of the Waratahs players. Teams that are light years behind another side in quality of skills don't survive on heart alone.
William Tell
Guest
Ity used to be if you didn't play for bloody Raaaandwick you didn't get to play for the Tahs or the Wallabies. How sweet it is....
Adsa
Guest
The result of this game put a smile on my face. That is all I am going to say.
Jibba Jabba
Roar Guru
The crowd was = disappointed !
Old Bugger
Guest
Neil You're lucky, you called him Shirl and not Shirley......phew!!
taylorman
Guest
Happened last year, they're used to it.
Neil
Guest
Good point, Shirl. The Brumbies 2nd half capitulation was even worse than the Tahs.