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The Waratahs’ season is still alive. Easily, in fact, if you look at the ladder. Darren Coleman’s men are now flying in sixth but it could have been an entirely different story.
In many ways, it should have been.
A try in the 79th minute to replacement hooker Mahe Vailanu in tight and a pressure-cooker conversion from Ben Donaldson saw the Waratahs seal a tense 21-20 victory over the Highlanders in Sydney.
“It was a tight contest,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon said.
“It sort of went back and forth for a lot of the game. We started the game not bad (but) the Highlanders got their way back into it and we just couldn’t control the momentum for the whole game.
“That’s been us for the whole year. We show glimpses of what we want to do and sort of let the other team back in.”
Mahe Vailanu scored the match-winning try against the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium on April 28, 2023, in Sydney. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Those with a glass half full will call the Waratahs’ performance “gutsy”.
That would be generous. The Waratahs are showing up in defence but their inability to take their chances is horrendous. It’s cost them multiple matches in 2023 and it very nearly cost them another game.
Time after time the Waratahs shot themselves in the foot, with their inability to retain possession, build pressure and execute at set-piece time continually plaguing their progress this season.
“It’s been a real grind for us,” Gordon put it bluntly. “We need to fix a few things and hopefully climb up a bit higher.”
Indeed they do, and quickly too.
Michael Hooper was one of the Waratahs’ best, with the veteran No.7 coming up with a number of crucial plays, including a 50-22 on the stroke of half-time that led to a try.
While the flanker wasn’t able to get on the ball like he’d have hoped, he once again carried well and was excellent in defence too. But it was his calming influence that was just as vital.
Michael Hooper was one of the Waratahs’ best against the Highlanders in Sydney. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
His back-row teammate Taleni Seu was excellent while returning No.8 Langi Gleeson made an eye-catching return after missing the past month.
Gordon, too, had a strong opening half while winger Dylan Pietsch was one of the best on the ground on both sides of the ball.
The Waratahs dominated the opening half but had very little to show for it.
After a slow start to the year, midfielder Izaia Perese continued his progression by showing his immense power by somehow getting to the tryline in tight.
But ill-discipline allowed the Highlanders to creep back into the match.
Sam Gilbert banged over two penalties in quick succession, before Gordon led the Waratahs’ defensive effort by denying the visitors another chance at the half-hour mark.
It led to Hooper’s brilliant 50-22 and Lalakai Foketi scoring after Gordon went around the corner and had a crack at the line.
But as the Waratahs have done so all year, balls were spilt and chances missed.
It allowed the visitors to come back into the match and Hugh Renton scored from a rolling maul in the 58th minute to cut the score to 14-13.
Three minutes later and the Waratahs were under more pressure. It told too as Foketi was sent to the sin bin for a silly lifting tackle and Aaron Smith, who was brilliant all night, scored after spotting space next to the ruck.
The home side managed to control the numerical advantage well, but they didn’t manage to take their chances.
Gordon turned down shots at goal and it looked like biting him when Vailanu’s throw was picked off and Donaldson couldn’t find touch.
But with time running out and the blood pressure boiling, Vailanu came up with the all-important try.
Mahe Vailanu dives over from close range to seal an important win for the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium. Photo: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
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