That was the quote from veteran centre Adam Ashley-Cooper after the Waratahs had come from behind to beat the Rebels 23-20 at the SCG last night.
And he was spot on.
For the first time in yonks, Kurtley Beale played like the Kurtley Beale of old.
He started with a heavy tackle on Rebels winger Marika Koriobete. Had he missed, Koriobete was away, and as it turned out, the game lost.
The highlight was a spectacular 60-metre midfield bust that turned defence into attack, throw in his accurate cut out passes, his safety with aerials with prodigious line kicking, and Beale had one helluva 80 minutes.
But he wasn’t alone.
Bernard Foley had such an abysmal first 40, failing to find touch five times with the worst kicking a penalty dead, and he went missing in general play.
Coach Daryl Gibson should have dragged him at the break, but thankfully he didn’t.
Foley came out in the second session as a new man to play a blinder, setting his backline alight, swooping on a loose Rebel lineout throw to sprint 60 metres to the tryline, then adding 11 points with his perfect boot, to score all the Waratahs second-half points.
And the third Waratah to deserve a salute was skipper Michael Hooper, whose non-stop 80 minutes of defence celebrated his 100th Super appearance.
Yet the Waratahs are a strange side, attracting a poor home crowd of 10,114 despite the fact it was a top of the table Australian Conference clash vital to both sides.
But the Waratahs can’t blame the fans for not showing up when they don’t know how their team will play. So the fans keep their hard-earned cash in the wallet and watch it on television.
Last night was another perfect example.
The Waratahs could only manage 42 per cent possession and 38 per cent territory in the first 40 with just Beale on attack and Hooper defending the rare ones in credit.
(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Down 20-7 at the break, the Waratahs had gift-wrapped the Rebels two soft tries and coughed up ten points in the last ten minutes through dumb rugby.
At best, the Waratahs chances of winning were bleak.
But a vastly different Waratahs took to the field for the second session, and because they started to do the simple things right they took control with 53 per cent possession and 61 per cent territory.
The Rebels looked stunned – they thought this was going to be a walk in the park.
They boast Adam Coleman, Luke Jones and Isi Naisarani up front and Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Reece Hodge, and Koriobete in the backline who should all be in the Wallaby World Cup squad, plus Jack Maddocks who failed a concussion test early last night.
Jones has a mortgage on the Wallaby six jersey, Naisarani the eight.
The Rebels are a quality side, and despite the loss still top the Australian Conference.
But they lost the plot last night, and the Waratahs pounced.
Despite slippery conditions they kept turnovers to 17, the same number as their missed tackles. Normally both negative stats are far higher than that.
The cold hard fact is the Waratahs are capable of playing scintillating rugby and dumb rugby within minutes of each other.
They got away with it last night, but when they play the New Zealand sides they will pay heavily for the scintillating-dumb rugby gap.
Leave the dumb bit in the shed.
jeznez
Roar Guru
ha ha, go Tahs!
Cassandra
Roar Rookie
去吧 Waratahs
Fox
Roar Guru
Fionn, Foley may have his faults but he does not have Quades record of poor performances when put under pressure and especially at international level and in key games as well. I think Thorn dropping him made him rethink much of his flamboyance and he has been much better for it this season IMO. But in the last two games, when the Rebels have been under some serious pressure, some of the old Quade appeared at times and that is the worry that Cheika has to way up. He will be in the Wallabies – but I do not think he will be the first choice to start right here, right now, anyway. Foley has a much higher work rate than Cooper in the D as the stats clearly show and especially when you consider he has played 167 less minutes this season – over two games – and that work rate in the D matters at test level and especially in a WC. With over 167 minutes less game time he has also only ran 3 less meters than Cooper and kicked more meters. Foley’s goal kicking % has not been as good as it has been at least, so far this season, but of the two, he IMO, is the better all round 10 even if Cooper has more flair in attack but Foley is hardly a slouch in that area as he showed on Saturday. Though not perfect, he did outplay Cooper in that game and like it or not, that would not have gone unnoticed by Cheika who interestingly, never started Cooper against a tier one nation in 2015 and only on the bench against Scotland and not used in that high pressure game when the Wallabies were under huge pressure. So the evidence hardly screams out that Cheika completely trusts Cooper in pressure cooker game at a WC. If that changes so be it, but Saturday would not have helped Coopers cause as the run on 10 that is for sure.
TheReds
Roar Rookie
Foley don't stand up when their team is under pressure. He is the member of a wallaby team which lost 70% of their games in the last 18 months. I rather have Cooper who can decide a match with one piece of magic. Foley is one hell of an average fly half.
DC NZ
Guest
This game won’t change a thing. Aus our in the quarters. Unless Joubert comes out of retirement. Ho ho ho. Bigly sad.
PeterK
Roar Guru
newsome's arm actually hooked around Koroiebete It was reviewed on slo mo and the right call was made they both jumped too early no where near the ball.
Hunters
Roar Rookie
Agree that the ref made a few obvious mistakes, and that did help the Waratahs toward the end. But the mistakes in the first half gave the rebels a leg up and contributed to points. Their first try came off the back of a very obviously crooked lineout throw. And their second came after Newsome was interfered with in the air trying to catch a bomb. (Having said that, if I'm missing something that made that legal, happy to here a different view.) My gut feeling was that the poor calls probably evened out, but that's hard to judge well.
PeterK
Roar Guru
So the point being? A teammate thought another played well, that must be a first. I said Beale had a good game, just that Hodge was a little bit better. Neither were brilliant as you like egg the yoke, you over praise by a lot.
David Lord
Expert
PeterK, and Kurtley Beale's game was saluted by team mate AAC, and you can't bring yourself to accept that as fact. No bias, just accurate reporting, try it sometime.
David Lord
Expert
Mitcher, have you noticed that the vast majority of the negative pricks as you describe them are from the Guru-Rookie classification, the angry young ants of society?
PeterK
Roar Guru
nice generality , of course hard to prove wrong since no specifics are written. At least I watch a game without confirmation bias top and front of mind as you do i.e you watch to confirm your preconceptions.
David Lord
Expert
Pity you didn't watch the entire game PeterK
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Strange. I could have sworn that Hamish Stewart and Bryce Hegarty have had more than 2 poor outings as well, and nowhere near as many high ones. But then again, what does it matter that he has outplayed his two competitors at the Reds this season, that isn't the point is it? Oh wait, yes it is.
Jcr
Guest
I thought Foleys line was a bit straighter on to the ball and QC was trying to reach in , hardly a reason to decide who the better was . It looked like QC was sticking to the team plan , what weight would you pit on that ?
Brizvegas
Guest
Unfortunately Fionn Quade has gone from hero to zero in his past 2 outings and I think teams have realised how fickle he can be under a little pressure. Thorn made a difficult but right decision in moving him on from the Reds imo.
Mitcher
Guest
I am not a rugby fan by any stretch. No particular disdain for the game either. But, geez, if this is the pre-eminent forum for the true believers, just wow. No wonder the game is going under in this country. You miserable sack of negative pr!cks. Just do depresseing. Not just for rugby, for the human race. Cheer up.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Beale contested loads of mid field bombs and had to run in and jump to take, not factual PeterKs assessment. Beale was excellent and so was Hodge. I think Beale was better as he created much better than Hodge; had the Rebels back pedalling when he had the ball carrying in both hands, passed well and kicked smart. Best game I’ve seen him play in a while. Hodge is looking good at FB, would like to see him continue there but I also like DHP there.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Commentary said Beale was about 70metres at half time so not sure if Rugby.com.au stats are right or wrong.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Beale and Hodge both were very good yesterday, both ran, kicked, defended and took the high kicks. Hodge has had a few good games now at fullback and think he’s found his best position. No doubt it’s Beale’s best position, he either starts at fullback for Oz or on the bench, and vice versa for Hodge. Kerevi has to be first choice 12. We have four very good FB choices; DHP, Beale, Hodge or Banks.
Shooter McGavin
Guest
Beale has always been a fullback. Australian rugby has been too dumb to realise it. As much as Folau isn't a complete fullback and would be better at wing or if adequately coached, in the midfield. But he scored tries you say! Yeah in losing sides. Fullback is critical to defensive structure and positional strategy both of which Aussie teams have been shocking at in recent times...