Wallabies playmaker Bernard Foley has contributed 16 second-half points in the NSW Waratahs’ stunning Super Rugby comeback win over the Melbourne Rebels.
Proud coach Daryl Gibson has hailed the NSW Waratahs’ spirit and resilience after Bernard Foley’s second-half blitz breathed fresh life in their Super Rugby season.
Firstly rocked, then galvanised, by the Israel Folau firestorm, the Waratahs overcame a week of turmoil and a 13-point halftime deficit to down the Melbourne Rebels 23-20 on Saturday night and regain control of their finals fate.
Foley scored all 16 points in the Waratahs’ second-half fightback from 20-7 down at the break in skipper Michael Hooper’s milestone 100th game for NSW.
Gibson admitted his side had been left mentally and physically exhausted by the Folau affair, with Super Rugby’s all-time leading try-scorer issued with a breach of contract notice by Rugby Australia last Wednesday for his homophobic social media posts.
“I’m very pleased with the grit we showed. Particularly given the circumstances of the week, that was a really subdued changing room,” Gibson said.
“It’s a weird feeling, we’ve won a game, the emotion of the week, to come out with a win has been good, but it’s a strange feeling.
“I just think it’s been an emotional week all round, and to come out here and perform well and get a win is job done, but it takes a lot out of people emotionally and mentally.”
A third win from as many starts at the SCG may well have saved NSW’s season.
After falling seven competition points adrift of the Rebels after a last-start loss to the Blues, the Waratahs are suddenly back in the box seat in the Australian conference.
With the Rebels having a bye week to regroup after successive defeats, the Waratahs can go top of the conference with another home triumph over the Sharks next Saturday night.
The Waratahs’ season threatened to slip away after a three-from-seven start preceded the Folau drama.
But after the superstar fullback was stood down from Waratahs duties as he fights to save his career, big guns Hooper, Foley and Kurtley Beale showed their class.
Replacing Folau at fullback, Beale’s kicking game was superb, while Foley enjoyed a points win over Quade Cooper in their much-anticipated five-eighth duel.
“That bloke has so much ticker,” Hooper said after Foley snatched a loose ball from the back of a lineout from Cooper’s grasp before racing away to level the scores.
Foley had earlier slotted two second-half penalty goals to pull the Waratahs to within a converted try, before ultimately securing victory with another in the 65th minute.
“We had a bit of a different week but the guys really came together,” Foley said.
“To come out tonight and get the result shows what we have as a team.”
Ruckin' Oaf
Guest
Funny though Cooper this season has been winning praise for not overplaying his hand and trying to do to much. Guess that only works if you're winning.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree with this Rebels as a whole don't seem to be able to adjust when the ref turns on them Also if their game plan was working i.e build up a big lead, but then the other team comes back (even if helped by the ref) they stick to the original game plan.
Big Dave
Roar Rookie
Have played 3/4 kiwi games though, against the top 3 kiwi teams.
PeterK
Roar Guru
can't understand why the worst / inexperienced ref assigned for the round had one of the most important. Gardner was doing the sunwolves canes match. at the minimum that should have been swapped. Yes the ref did favour our team jeznez
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
Peter, leaving aside Norm’s emotive language, it was odd to see QC at half back shovelling the ball on and not taking a “follow me” role. With 30 seconds to go in the RWC quarters and trailing by 4, we need a fly half who is going to take control. QC gets another chance when the Tahs travel to Melbourne.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Ref wasn’t great and I think he did favour my team. Definitely made mistakes both ways as did Berry the touchy. It’s more him not encouraging the guys around him when they make mistakes and seeming to stop trying things when it goes against him. He needs to find that grit when it goes against him. I’ve always most admired his leadership against the BIL for Qld. More of that please. How he and the coaches bring the Rebels out of the pressure the last two games have brought is key to him progressing
Karl Charleton
Guest
Easy to get your head down when the ref is only watching one team. Foley playing at the ball on the ground, Copper then shoves him or slaps his hands or something, moments later for something else Tahs penalty. I gave up watching as a neutral because of the reffing.
PeterK
Roar Guru
What you wrote is illogical - if he was joining rucks and busy in defence then surely the tahs had the ball and thus the rebels couldn't stage an attack since they were defending
norm de plume
Guest
'I’ve been on the Cooper bandwagon but in the last two weeks he’s showed he still has (what is in my mind) his biggest flaw. When things are going against him he can have a tendency to put his head down' Yes indeed. The best example was the last few minutes: only 3 behind, minutes on the clock, in decent position to stage an attack... and where was Quade? Joining rucks late and rather half-heartedly to give him some plausible cover if he was accused of dogging his role as playmaker. 'Look, I was too busy in defence' Would Larkham or Carter or Wilko - or even Foley or CL - have avoided the pill as if it carried the plague in those last couple of minutes. No, they would have organised their runners and yelled to the 9 to 'give it to me'! Foley makes mistakes, sure. But he would not go AWOL like that. Cooper will be very lucky to make the 23 after that. With no Folau I thought Hodge made as much of a statement as Beale. A beast in the tackle and a nose for a gap. Right now I would have Beale at 15 and Hodge at centre, partnering Kerevi.
cinque
Roar Rookie
Not in the box seat. Only OZ team yet to fly to South Africa, played Sunwolves twice.
Cantab
Guest
Low quality game, but exciting due to the score line. Foley put some distance on Quade for the wallabies starting spot.
PeterK
Roar Guru
the ref was a kiwi and probably why an oz team won a close one in SA.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Some pretty dire rugby out there with neither side wanting to hold the pill for long periods. Points decision to Foley over Cooper given he got the points for the win - is the third year in a row the Tahs have comeback to beat the Rebels. I've been on the Cooper bandwagon but in the last two weeks he's showed he still has (what is in my mind) his biggest flaw. When things are going against him he can have a tendency to put his head down. Saw it in his reaction to Tupou dropping his cross-field kick last week and it continued as the Stormers countered the Rebels game plan. We saw it again as the game was slipping this week. Gee, if only we could package Foley's resilience with Cooper's skill and vision. I said it last week that Wessels, Cooper and Byrne need to embed some new options - not sure we saw that this week. Well done to my Tahs, need more attacking intent to progress. First half diabolical, second half passable, will need to be better again in the coming weeks. That said, how good was it to see Jed back? Loved his play to set up AAC's try, the Simmons offload to HJH in the lead up there was good too - best attacking moments of the match and it was the engine room leading the way.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
The refereeing was bad but the Brumbies copped a flogging. The crowd, the water boy and the video ref all advising the SA ref in African.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Some good games from Simmons, Hooper, Rangi, Phillip, Jones, Genia, Foley, AAC, Beal and Hodge. A scrappy game that no one really deserved to win. Two dog acts on Genia. One on a chase by Hooper who was 3 metres off side. The other by Staniforth when he injured the little man. Two on Cooper. A trip by Foley on the ground and another by AAC 2 metres offside on a chase. The try by Foley was nothing like as described. Foley was mobile and square on to the ball and Cooper was stationary and side on to the ball. It was luck. If AAC or Foley think they can fight they had better not try Quadie ; Despite all the BS he can throw them as can Carlo Spencer.
Dean
Guest
What a horrid game of Rugby. It was painful to watch such poor performances only matched by the appalling standard of refereeing. Thank heavens I stayed up to watch both of the Reds and Brumbies games in SA.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Well done Tahs, you won't hear this one eyed Reds fan say that very often, but under the circumstances congratulations are thoroughly deserved.