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The Waratahs have all but sewn up top spot in the Australian conference, conjuring up a hard-fought 31-26 win over the Rebels in a thrilling match at AAMI Stadium.
After dominating the first half and taking a 17-10 lead into halftime, the Tahs ceded control to a rampant Rebels outfit – Matt Philip and Amanaki Mafi leading the charges – and it was the Rebels who looked most likely to win, holding a nine point lead heading into the final stanza.
But two key plays from senior Wallabies held the key to the match, first Kurtley Beale, then Bernard Foley snaffling intercepts which led to tries by an impressive Ned Hanigan, and Foley himself.
The Rebels gave themselves another shot at the death, but failed to secure their lineout – a problem that also dogged them at the start of the match.
The Rebels will look back on tonight with frustration, Angus Cottrell coughing up the ball in a scoring position right on halftime, and then failing to apply the killer blow when having the Waratahs on the rack in the second half.
It was as if the Rebels lacked the confidence and self-belief to go on with the job, despite their dominance up front, and their play lacked a hard, direct edge right at the critical moment it was needed.
The Waratahs seemed rudderless for much of the second half, clealry missing their skipper Michael Hooper, but they will be delighted at the way they kept their composure, stayed in the contest, and put the points on the board when the opportunities eventually presented themselves.
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For the home side, Jack Maddocks again impressed on the wing, along with big shifts from most of the pack – although their scrum did conceded dominance to the Waratahs. Reece hodge was impressive with the boot, but the jury is still out on his playing at 10.
Will Miller was great value for the visitors early, although it was Hanigan who took responsibility for driving the forward effort when it counted.
Replacement winger Alex Newsome was dangerous all night, and even though Beale was untidy at times, it was his spark that eventually turned the game.
After a week of constant bleating about laws and their interpretation it was great to be able to focus on purely rugby matters – and a genuinely exciting match to boot!
It wasn’t always clinical but both sides showed a refreshing attitude to attack each other with the ball, and the (disappointing) crowd of 9,208 was kept highly entertained throughout.
Well done Waratahs, a very hard-earned win away from home; on the other hand commiserations to the Rebels, who really had the match won, and only let it slip with a couple of intercepts.
Final score
Waratahs 31
Rebels 26