“I’d imagine there’ll be next to no chance now of the Waratahs getting ahead of themselves again this week.”
That’s how I concluded last week’s column, having been rather surprised that the Waratahs would admit to being “out-enthused” in their Round 19 loss to the Brumbies in Sydney, and with Daryl Gibson issuing a stern rebuke to his side that, “…what you saw tonight was a team that was not focused on the job at hand and getting ahead of itself in terms of already being at next week.”
The Waratahs couldn’t possibly phone another game in, not in a pure knockout situation against a team looking to square the ledger from an earlier loss to the ‘Tahs this season. There was simply no way could they make the same mistakes again, as I drew my conclusion from the notepad of Captain Obvious.
Well, they did.
Down 23-6 to the Highlanders at halftime, it honestly looked like the Waratahs were going to get done by 40. They were terrible; lacking any semblance of pattern in attack, missing their ruck cleanout timing not just by seconds but by hours, and generally getting around waiting for someone in a sky-blue jersey to do something. To do anything.
And yet they won. I’m still not entirely sure what happened to the Highlanders; it should’ve been comfortable for them. Wayne Smith in The Australian on Monday summed it up brilliantly, that “it was as though France had grown weary of the Six Nations and come down to Super Rugby instead.”
Somehow, it clicked for the Waratahs. And it’s funny how quickly it can happen.
Well beaten heading into the sheds, the Waratahs still hadn’t looked much different to their first half lethargy over the first ten minutes of the second half. They spent a large chunk of that ten minutes in their own half, and a large chunk of that large chunk battling to get out of their 22, before Taqele Naiyaravoro suddenly swooped on a Highlanders pass in the face of a three-on-one-overlap.
Going through the post-mortem on Sunday, and after wading through all the my-god-all-this-refereeing-whinging-is-getting-boring commentary, I found myself agreeing with several of you who identified the Naiyaravoro intercept as a turning point.
It wasn’t the immediate spark, but it was the first bit of luck that went the ‘Tahs way.
How the ball found Naiyaravoro was interesting – and it did find him, because Aaron Smith’s pass was a good metre in front of the intended targets of either Lima Sopoaga, Ben Smith, and Waisake Naholo. Naiyaravoro took two steps off the Waratahs’ tryline and he was in space with ball in hand.
But when Naiyaravoro was run down by Ben Smith just beyond halfway, there was still a bit of panic evident. Nick Phipps’ pass went behind Ned Hanigan and he could only make another metre forward. Kurtley Beale’s long, overhead pass after the next ruck bounced three metres short of Alex Newsome, but fortuitously, straight into the winger’s hands.
Taqele Naiyaravoro of the Waratahs. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
He made it a metre or two passed the Highlanders’ ten metre line, but it took another three phases of back-and-forward, side-to-side nothingness before Beale got a speculative, slightly broken play offload away to Sekope Kepu. The big tighthead burst through Naholo’s first high tackle nearing the Highlanders’ 22 and was brought to ground by the second one about ten short of the try line, but with Angus Gardner’s arm already out playing advantage.
Ball spills out the back, another Hanigan charge gets him to five metres out, ball emerges out the front of the ruck, penalty Waratahs. Yellow card Naholo. First real attacking chance for the Tahs, but what on earth can they produce here? Where will they find the points? They still didn’t look like they knew what they’re doing.
Hanigan won the lineout well, and the Waratahs drove down the same line, but the maul stuttered before Highlanders flanker James Lentjies swam too far up the side; advantage ‘Tahs. Phipps battled to get the ball out, found Beale, who shovelled onto Bernard Foley, who found Israel Folau in a bit of space but which quickly closed on him.
Two more phases of nothingness, the Waratahs lost nearly twenty metres and yet again there was just nothing doing as Gardner went back to the penalty.
Bernard Foley of the Waratahs (AAP Image/Jeremy Ng)
What are they doing? The Waratahs sort of know where the space is, but they’re playing away from it. They’re bottling this. Phipps taps, two forward carries puts them in front of the posts five metres out. Five more phases side-to-side making no ground, before Beale drifts right of the posts, steps left, and finds Foley on the inside in space to score under the posts. Goodness, where did that come from?
Foley converts, and at least the gap is only ten points. Are they convincing? Nope, no way. They need to be better.
Highlanders restart long, and Foley clears into touch ten short of halfway. Another Highlanders attacking lineout it the Waratahs’ half.
Lineout is borderline not straight, but spills down on the Highlanders side, but Phipps emerges from nowhere with the other key moment that people pointed to: throwing himself on the ball in between two Highlanders on halfway.
Ball is slow coming back, Rob Simmons finds Jed Holloway to the right who finds Foley out wider. Who finds Beale. Who runs and slices through a gap after turning Highlanders centre Teihorangi Walden around, before drawing Sopoaga in the last line and putting Folau away in Naholo’s corner.
From playing ad-hoc rugby before Foley’s try to attacking down Naholo’s wing again and Folau scoring, there’s been less than three minutes of elapsed playing time, but which included a conversion, a restart, a lineout, and a turnover. That’s how quick it happened.
The gap was just three points, and five minutes later, Foley was in for his double. From inside their own half, Folau’s two big right-foot steps opened up the Highlanders again, and Phipps and Foley finished it off. The Waratahs were awake – and led by four as Naholo came back on.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
It was an incredible comeback, and just as impressive was how they gutsed out that last quarter of play, particularly the last six minutes after Paddy Ryan was sin-binned for the sort of offside infringement that he knew was wrong, but probably would’ve ended with a Highlanders try if he didn’t pick up the ball laying right here in front of him.
It really was the sort of win that teams look back after a major success further down the track; the win that no-one thought they had in them, but that they somehow pulled out from the looming, dripping jaws of defeat.
What awaits them on Saturday is a Lions team who not unlike the Hurricanes, have found their thirsty playoff relentlessness.
Against a Jaguares side who tried to build into the game like they often do, the Lions put on 24 points in ten minutes in the first half, and then let an underfed Malcolm Marx off the leash to devour the breakdown in the second half. All in front of an Ellis Park crowd baying for another finals scalp.
I know I said this last week, but there just cannot be a repeat of the game-and-a-half’s worth of snoozing the Waratahs have shown in the last ten days. The stakes in 2018 have never been higher, and the carrot of a fourth Final appearance has never been closer.
But as we found ourselves asking last week, which Waratahs side will run out on Saturday?
Drongo
Guest
Ok, fair enough, my post was ambiguous. No, I did not mean you. You don’t do it. I meant a couple of the pro-writers (especially Spiro who is relentless) and lots of posters.
mailman
Guest
The idea that Toomua will come back to super rugby, take Foley's place in the Wallabies side and lead them to glory at the next World Cup is a definitely glass half full thinking in the face of mediocre evidence that Toomua can be this kind of player. Defensibly Toomua is a cut above Foley for sure but as a creative and attacking player not so much, I have never seen him play as well in an attacking capacity as Foley does when at his best- which admittedly is way too inconsistent to not have another option at Fly half. Cheika needs to develop another option but I just can't see Toomua ever being this player- you can't just suddenly turn into a an attacking beast with creative flair and the vision to find holes in the opposition's defence.
Brett McKay
Expert
Drongo, I'm sorry, but when I read, "Very well written Brett" and "When these guys drop the relentless and silly character assessment and focus on what the players actually do, the good, the not so good..." butted together like they were, I naturally assumed that I was one of the guys making the character assessments you spoke of. That's literally the way it reads. To use your words, I thought you'd done exactly that: taken a compliment and turned it into a nasty sledge. If that's not your meaning, or wasn't your intent, then I am sorry.
Drongo
Guest
Cheap and inaccurate Brett. I never belittle players and I only comment on the factual actions of coaches, eg Thorn, who I have criticised for his bad decision making, vacuous media performances and terrible coaching. His coaching record this year backs up these criticisms. Those posters who denigrate character invite assessment of their own character which I am happy to point out. Way to take a compliment and turn it into a nasty sledge.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Thanks Brett... very evocative piece!
Reality Check
Guest
Michael Cheika is full of it .No one will forget him keeping underperformers in his team and not giving better players the chance and the whole rugby world seeing it unfold before them. ( Apart from his sychophants RA, Fox Sports Rugby, Cheika Fan Bois and the NSW Centric Rugby Media of course ) .The rest of us are not fools. Change will come and progress made once he exits .Please be after the RC.
JP
Guest
In Rugby circles up here i`ve heard whispers that Snozza wanted Quade in the backs but Brad Thorn said no. Possibly that`s why he quit ? Why have a Ferrari in the garage and not drive it.
JP
Guest
Who cares if we got to the 2015 final .We were totally embarrassed in that Final with Foley probably close to being the worst player on the ground.
JP
Guest
" the guy is the best we have by a very long shot.. as i have said numerous times.. foley is a class above the other one that fionn etc like.. and is a team player.. watch his tackles against the highalnders forwards.." This has got to be close to the biggest BS statement i`ve ever read on this site and their has been a lot . It`s no coinceidence the Wallabioes are doomed when Foley is treated like the above.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Agree the team has achieved a lot more than I thought they could given the way the squad had been structured. Well done Tahs! But Riddler - let's get real here. I was in the 9ths at school - would have loved to have made the 5ths!
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
But then they can fall asleep again. More like a narcoleptic experimenting with stimulants
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
I'm surprised more teams don't kick long. Almost always get a clearance kicked to the forty or halfway at worst. Short kicks much more of a lottery
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Can we blame one player for every loss in the last five years? The saying that the game is won and lost up front comes to mind...
riddler
Guest
fionn the big point the gagr article on qld and up to now commentators are both missing is the fact of snozz leaving.. he is a quality bloke, brilliant winger and probably a very good development bloke.. but he is not a backs coach.. as usual the people focus on the issues that sell clicks, which need to be corrected of course, but another of the biggest ones is that thorn and qld are looking for a backs coach.. not sure who to go for.. would love lancaster but he won't move.. pat howard would be another if he gets the chop from the cricket gig.. which reminds me, matt toomau is poor man's pattie howard.. maybe scott wisemantel if he doesn't get picked up on a full time basis by eddie.. met the guy once about 15 years ago in the south of france, seemed like a good bloke besides also having a good rugby brain..
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for the article Brett. Thoroughly enjoyed that!
PeterK
Roar Guru
Fionn - I went and revisited my notes, the game in 2017 was the second game against the boks , not a game against AB's, sorry my memory failed me. I did know it was 1 quality game per year in tests which isn't good enough considering how many poor to average ones he has.
RobC
Roar Guru
Hi Corne. The answer is YES! hahaha
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
This whole “we were lucky” argument is just designed by the anti-Cheika brigade to negative an excellent RWC performance. I haven’t watched a replay of the match, but I’ll guarantee there were some decisions which “unfairly” went against the Wallabies. The Scots may be a better team than us now, but they weren’t in 2015. As Peter says, there was another 2 or 3 minutes on the clock. I’d back the Wallabies. The team was far better gelled than the 2011 team who lost to Ireland in the pool match and really “got lucky” in the quarters against SA with some terrible refereeing - Pocock got away with some ridiculous/blatant infringements. And then let’s look at the massively forward pass to Kaino in the 33rd (thereabouts) minute of the 2015 final which the ref put his arm out for and then brought it back in - massive turn around as NZ gained huge territory, momentum and inevitable points in those few minutes either side of half time. Rugby history is littered with the “what ifs”.
Fionn
Guest
I never put up Lance. Riddler, it's pretty obvious that you'd said Foley was fantastic, because that's what you've said about his every performance for years. This is fine, I'd just wish you'd stop pretending you're totally objective when it comes to Foley, whereas everyone else is biased. It's pretty evident you have a partlcular penchant for Foley. This is fine. I just don't think he's good enough. I don't see him as being good enough at international level. Too many errors (such as butchering a 2 man overlap to win the Irish series), too many weaknesses in his kicking and passing game. I know you'll counter by telling me you've watched him closely and he kicks well. That's fine if you think that. But I disagree. I have nothing against him as a bloke, but I don't think he's good enough as a player.
riddler
Guest
fionn has selective memory i am convinced now.. i have commented on games where foley has played well and fionn has even said excellent.. for example last year at the start when the tahs were terrible without him due to the concussions and he came back and played very well.. not excellent as fionn said, but very well.. the guy is the best we have by a very long shot.. fionn put up lance last year, he denies it now, but he said it.. then cll to come back from ulster, now toomau.. anyone but foley is his opinion. which is fine. as long as it is balanced and justified.. matt has never been an international 10. he is a good solid international 12, not a 10. he had a couple of good games for the tigers this year in the international period but then dropped off at the business end. if foley had of played solidly on the weekend, missed a conversion or penalty .. and the tahs lost.. there would have been a far great of number of messages from the likes of fionn than there were.. there silver linings i guess!! (i guess this week if the tahs lose, normality will be resumed and fionn et al will go overboard on their expertise on 10 play and foley doesn't have any of it) as i have said numerous times.. foley is a class above the other one that fionn etc like.. and is a team player.. watch his tackles against the highalnders forwards.. he is doing it all the time..this is a guy who was having the same issues as flately and barnes re head knocks.. it saddens me that people who have never pulled on a national jersey let alone a state one can be so vindictive against a player who gives it his all.. have a gander at what ben says on the gagr reds report card.. he explains the ex-10 situation very well, much better than i ever could, being an old dumb piggie.. i also watched a great youtube doc on the abs last night.. 'weight of the nation'.. about the 2007 and 2011 abs world cup. i fully buy into what thorn is doing at qld and you can see where he gets alot of thought process and goal from.. also i would add benny would have a big influence on it as well.. it was exactly the same thing all the teams i played for tried to do.. team first.. the people who keep death riding foley and talking up the other i would have hefty bets on never played at a very high level let alone a 1st xv school level.. watch the game, take off the blinkers and enjoy it!! ps foley also handled the captaincy very well, his communication with gardiner was spot on, probably better than poey has been communicating if i am being honest. poey is my favourite oz player by a long way, great team man. (see a theme here??!!??) good captaincy, good direction, great tackles, great kicking, nice grubber kick to vary the play, one bad kick off, a couple of meat pies and the win! the lad had a very good game.. not excellent but a very good game by any normal persons standards..