Since the dawn of Super Rugby, coaches, players, pundits and punters have wondered how to beat the perennial powerhouse that is the Crusaders.
And on Saturday evening the NSW Waratahs may have worked it out: make sure they have 13 players and you have 15.
And even then it can be a close run thing, as the Waratahs found, holding off the fast-finishing Crusaders 24-21 at one of the 13-man game’s spiritual grounds, Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval.
Tane Edmed – whose father Steve spilled blood on this surface for Balmain Tigers – was a gibbering wreck when interviewed by Stan Sport analyst Morgan Turinui.
“I don’t have the words,” Edmed said, bottom lip quivering.
“I’ve got 30 friends and family here. I’ve got these boys [his team-mates]. And the fans have been outstanding.
“Some of the stuff we endured last year, we didn’t win a game … the support and belief that ‘DC’ [Darren Coleman] instilled … we know we can do it,” Edmed said.
He went to join his teammates. And he blubbered again. Beautiful stuff.
Crusaders captain Cody Taylor said the Waratahs “wanted it more”.
“We didn’t start well and they capitalised and put points on the board. We found it hard to peg them back. We didn’t play smart to the conditions – it was a dewy ball. We could’ve been better there.”
That a side from the south island of New Zealand – where slippery balls are just known as “balls” – was outplayed by top-of-surface fun-runners from Sydney spoke volumes.
Indeed pre-match it had appeared inconceivable.
Yet after Edmed landed a penalty goal in the 39th minute of the match – one that saw the Waratahs go to half-time leading 17-0 – the small but vocal crowd nudged one another and thought: who are these Waratahs and what have they done with the Waratahs?
With fans still emptying out of local pubs, left winger (and player of the match) Dylan Pietsch opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a fine and blockbusting run off a flat Jake Gordon pass.
Five minutes later Izaia Perese danced to the line before setting up right winger Mark Nawaqanitawase with a one-handed back-hander.
When Edmed nailed the sideline conversion, said crowd began to believe, albeit cautiously – for the pedigree of their opponents is well known.
Yet Waratahs had looked more confident, like they were enjoying themselves. Coach Coleman has definitely instilled an edict in his charges to ‘play’. Not meaning muck around – it’s physical and tight rugby when required. But there didn’t appear any deer in headlights in his XXIII.
“We can’t stop playing; 17 points won’t win this,” Coleman told Stan Sport at half time.
“We’ve got to keep playing rather than defending the lead.”
They didn’t stop playing. But nor did the Crusaders.
A rolling maul near the Tahs’ line yielded a penalty try, a conversion and the binning of Tahs No.8 Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco.
The Crusaders rang the changes, with 60 per cent of their tight five replaced. The Tahs won a defensive lineout near their line. Then they won another one against the throw.
And the crowd roared afresh.
Still the ‘Saders came. Even missing four All Blacks, they are the competition’s testing material. Sione Havili Talitui rumbled over. The conversion made it 17-14.
And then something happened that would have appeared inconceivable this time last year: the home crowd went up a gear, urging on the home team. And the players lifted, visibly.
Mark Nawaqanitawase of the Waratahs scores a try. (Photo by Pete Dovgan/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Crusaders were off. They turned over more ball than normal. They leaked penalties. Had men off the field with cards.
Crusaders replacement lock Hamish Dalzell was twice involved in high tackles – one on Edmed, the other on Michael Hooper.
The first was deemed a nothing burger. The second saw him sent off, following Hooper up the race.
With the crowd urging them on, the Waratahs took on the seven-man Crusaders pack with a driving maul that begat a penalty try.
Argentine No.6 Pablo Matera was immediately sin-binned and the Crusaders would finish the game, all bar the last minute, with 13 men.
With 11 minutes to go it was the Waratahs by 10. And they began to exploit space. Will Harris burned downfield. The Crusaders won a ruck penalty.
And the champs did not go gently into the night. With 13 men they scored a try after a fine break by David Havili led to prop Fletcher Newell rumbling over.
Simon Hickey converted. And it was three points the difference. And the Waratahs may have wondered: how do we kill these people?
For still they came: Jack Goodhue prominent. Giant Sam Whitelock. Matera came back on.
But the Waratahs defence was inspired. Charlie Gamble was like a squat, athletic sumo; borderline immovable.
And the Waratahs, who’d won exactly zero games in 2021, had taken down the game’s biggest provincial scalp.
Rugby Geek
Roar Rookie
MC for a harden Tahs fan! I have been misled, tricked, conned, and, deluded into believing that the Tahs have what it takes. Every year they get me! So much so I shout the motto of "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!" to anybody who will listen. I know DC, a fine man who knows a thing or two about our game. But the last game, wow! I have watched it twice and the excitement is back! Like a jilted lover, "all is forgiven"
Olly
Roar Rookie
In my view we have slowly been destroying HP. He should never have been moved to 12 and we are turning him into to much of a playmaker when we should have been working more on the actual playmakers. I am all for developing more into a players game but he is not a natural playmaker and this is being forced on him to much. His role has been over complicated and needs to go back to his real strength of running good lines now with the added unexpected moment of playmaking. Plus the Reds backline attack as I have been saying for some time is not good enough. The backs rely on individual brilliance to much and they run the same old out the back move with the only variation being the initial ball receiver. I rate my Reds backs play book as the worst in Oz rugby...we are just lucky to have so many individual impact players. Put some of these Reds back into that Brumbies backline system/coaching and they would be an absolute handful.
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Olly..it looks like HP is not playing well or us struggling against the kiwi blokes but maybe you have different view..
Olly
Roar Rookie
But I would still be very happy with Ikitau at 13. The guy unlocks the back 3 and is the best communicator at 13 we have.
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
"missed 6 tackles in a Test match where he was still praised for his D…..)." :wow Olly
Olly
Roar Rookie
I would like to see him playing with a winger who can tackle. He literally is the last line of defence with Marky Mark on the wing. IMO all our 13 can get bumped in D with HP against popular belief being the worst as his highly real hits seem to over shadow it (missed 6 tackles in a Test match where he was still praised for his D.....). I do think Perese brings the most in attack for our 13 options.
peterj
Roar Rookie
Thanks Fats and Jez for your explanations. Much appreciated!
Paulo
Roar Rookie
It’s not going to convince you, so I’m not going to bother. If you really want to look for it, it’s really obvious as play stops and the crusader is checked for concussion and/or neck injury on the field.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Injured
Double Agent
Guest
The last time an Australian team won the comp it was the Waratahs. That's reality.
Double Agent
Guest
It's always frustrating when the ref penalises for sealing off or going off feet when he has turned a blind eye to the previous 75 rucks where that happened.
Double Agent
Guest
" I think the first half was the best half of rugby I’ve seen by an Australian side over the past 10 years" Let me remind you of Waratahs 2014!
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure. My understanding of the framework of analysis is that you look at the contact, force etc then you can look at mitigating factors. Not sure that the mitigation can take it from Red to penalty. I think these types of accidental poor tackles should result in penalties, but we would need to change the way these decisions are currently evaluated. We all just want consistency.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
Yes. By who on who and when? The issue is that when you openly display a preference for one nation over another, face no consequences, then make decisions that are inconsistent with almost every other Ref, that favour the nation you are from, in circumstances where they need a little help, it is hard to not stop and think.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
He didn’t have a lot of choice. 2 head shots in about 5 minutes from the same bloke. Both really clear evidence of poor tackling technique combined with a desire to have an impact on the game. So that takes them to 14. Penalty try - brings in video review, once awarded Yellow must follow. So he had no real choice. That is not really evidence of being impartial. May help if you provide some detail of players involved and time so we can compare them. He has displayed openly on the field a perspective and what sanction did BOK face for the action in RWC?
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
Lot's of moving parts to try and get right, plenty of room mistakes in execution and reffing!
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Yea, I can see that, and if the jerseys were reversed that would likely be my take. In general I am not a fan of how mauls are being referred right now. Typically the catcher is sealed off before contact so no sack can happen. Too many switching lanes not getting called, some times the ball carrier isn’t even attached or touching the maul all the time. And then there are these shearing off moments and who causes them. Don’t want the maul removed, but geez, it’s a mess right now.
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
PM maybe try AM
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
Whatever happened to Ramm? I thought he had skills to push for wallabies and now he hardly make the bench. Such good timing. Defence perhaps?
Paulo
Roar Rookie
:laughing: