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Waratahs win after the siren

24th February, 2018
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The Waratahs are bound to win this week, right? Right!? (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Roar Guru
24th February, 2018
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1393 Reads

A Ned Hanigan try after the full-time siren has given the NSW Waratahs a winning start to their Super Rugby campaign after a tough 34-27 win against the Stormers at Allianz Stadium.

The Stormers came to Sydney looking for their fifth consecutive win on Australian soil which has never been done by a South African team previously.

The Waratahs were looking to avoid their fifth consecutive loss in Super rugby after a disastrous 2017 season.

A Bernard Foley penalty gave the Waratahs an early lead after the first ten minutes saw both teams trying to find their way into the game.

The Stormers however hit back through some enterprising play with Raymond Rhule throwing an inside ball for prop Steven Kitschoff crashing over for his first ever Super Rugby try and expertly converted by SP Marais.

The Waratahs immediately took the lead back with a leaping Israel Folau brilliantly gathering the ball from a Foley kick and racing 40 metres to score.

In the 29th minute, from a line-out skipper Michael Hooper broke of the maul and crossed the line giving the Waratahs a handy seven point lead.

But as was the case for the entire match, the end to end football continued with Stormers flanker Kobus Van Dyk staying just on the field of play after collecting a smart chip from scrum-half Dewaldt Duvenage to score in the corner. Both teams went to the break locked at 17-17.

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The second half started favourably for the Waratahs with a strong Curtis Rona run and offload seeing hooker Damien Fitzpatrick putting the Waratahs ahead once again.

But as the half went on, the Stormers started to assert their ascendancy especially during scrum time with multiple penalties conceded by the Waratahs for collapsing early.

This was a common problem last year as well. Outstanding work by Stormer No.8, Nizaam Carr from the scrum saw Marais dart over.

NSW lock Rob Simmons was then handed a stint on the bin after an infringement at the line-out. The sin-binning seemed to have re-invigorated the Waratahs after they repelled multiple attacks and staged some of their own with 14 men.

As the match seemed to be heading for a draw, a line-out mistake by the Stormers deep in their own territory saw Hanigan score after the hooter giving the Waratahs a much needed 34-27 win.

Waratahs 34
Stormers 27

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