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Try as they might, a brave Waratahs side have fallen short as the Chiefs extended their lead at the top of the Super Rugby standings with a 24-14 victory in Sydney.
“I want to go home and kick the dog. I don’t have a dog,” coach Darren Coleman said. “It hurts doesn’t it. You just want to get out of that hole of confidence and form. We tried hard. It wasn’t through effort that we didn’t get [the result] there today.
“It’s an ordinary feeling. I just hope – I sound like I’m bleeding here – that the NSW rugby public appreciate the boys’ effort. I’ve just got to coach better to get that clinical nature in our attack.”
For 40 minutes the Chiefs huffed and puffed and tried to blow Coleman’s “house” down. But for all their endeavour, an impenetrable defensive line held the Chiefs out as for once Damian McKenzie’s side found no way through the home side’s wall.
Extraordinarily, the Chiefs had 30 rucks inside the home side’s 22m line. The Waratahs didn’t have one. But the scoreline told an interesting story, with the score locked at 7-7 at half-time as Coleman’s men tried to tackle their way through their early season rut.
Emoni Narawa’s double meant the Chiefs continued their unbeaten start to the season as they scrapped past the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images
More defensive grout would have to be found as the Waratahs started the second half shakily, but the Chiefs failed to take advantage of the prime position as, first, Brodie Retallick dropped the ball cold and, next, Brad Weber kicked out on the full.
Paying respect to the home side’s resilience, the Chiefs opted for another long-range shot at goals and this time McKenzie landed it.
The try eventually came as explosive winger Emoni Narawa burst his way through to help the Chiefs break out to a 10-point lead. Not before long, the strain could be seen on Eddie Jones’ face as he rubbed his forehead.
Not prepared to throw in the towel, the Waratahs started to get their hands on the ball and Michael Hooper scored from a clever lineout play.
With all the momentum, the Waratahs blew a golden chance to go ahead but replacement prop Tom Lambert spilt the ball after Mark Nawaqanitawase’s brilliant linebreak.
The Chiefs then steadied the ship and Narawa’s second, which came from a clever grubber in behind the defensive line, saw the Chiefs seal the match and continue their unbeaten run.
Jake Gordon scored an intercept try to put the Waratahs back on even terms. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images
“It was a real tough match,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon said.
“Defensively both teams put in a really good shift. Especially that first-half, I think we had about 30 per cent possession. But it was a disappointing transfer into attack. Once again we had opportunities. The breakdown was a bit of a mess. But I was really proud of our effort.”
Chiefs and All Blacks captain Sam Cane paid tribute to the home side’s grit.
“A real arm-wrestle,” Cane said. “We were describing it like that at half-time, too.
“But, to be fair, it’s what we expected. The Waratahs despite some of the results not going their way, they’re a quality outfit and we were just hoping they didn’t quite click and put the pieces together. But jeez, they put us under a lot of pressure and, as a result, we ended up dropping a lot of pill.
“Our discipline wasn’t always the best. They defended extremely well and we had to work extremely hard for it.”
Brodie Retallick added: “That was a tough one all right. We knew it was going to be a grind coming over here, it’s always tough. Full credit to the Waratahs, they put us under a lot of pressure and we made mistakes from it.”
The defeat leaves the Waratahs with just one win from their opening five matches and languishing outside the top eight. Only a ridiculous finals system, which sees eight of the top 12 teams qualify for the knockout matches, is keeping Coleman’s men, who are in a “hole of confidence and form”, in the mix.
But they head to Canberra next weekend needing a win to keep them in the hunt, with Stephen Larkham’s side to bring back their big guns after resting six of their stars for the lost trip across the ditch.
Bryn Gatland gave the visitors the perfect start, as the playmaker punished the home side for their clumsy attack by barging over some passive defence.
Despite having all the ball, the Waratahs scored a try against the run of play as Gordon scored a brilliant intercept try on half-time.
The home side managed to find a way to keep in the game through some brilliant defence, as the home side’s big men, led by Harry Johnson-Holmes and Ned Hanigan in tight and at the set-piece, kept the visitors searching for answers.
It took a half-time break for the visitors to settle it down and get back on track, as Narawa found the tryline. His second 20 minutes later sealed the deal.
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