- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Slowly but surely Ben Donaldson and the Waratahs are finding their feet.
After chasing their tail ever since losing to the Brumbies on the competition’s opening night back in February, the Waratahs are starting to find some momentum.
Their latest success, a gritty 38-20 victory over the Rebels to win back to Weary Dunlop Trophy and seal three wins on-the-trot.
Max Jorgensen celebrates with Mark Nawaqanitawase after the winger scored a spectacular try against the Rebels in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Donaldson had worn much of the criticism during the first half of the season, but the 24-year-old finished the night with a smile.
The playmaker sliced through the Rebels’ defence and got away a silky offload to Izaia Perese to score the home side’s fifth try. Unsurprisingly, his teammates rushed to him at once as he lay on the deck.
Then Donaldson, who incredibly is the Wallabies incumbent after starting against Wales last November, landed another conversion out wide to end the night flawlessly from the kicking tee.
“That’s his little trademark,” coach Darren Coleman said, having earlier told Stan Sport Donaldson was “a bit of a forgotten man” amongst his contemporaries.
“We’ve all been looking for that. Hopefully that springboards him to taking on the line a bit more.
“But he had a great day. He kicked really well, he tackled bravely. Like our team, he’s getting better every week.”
The Rebels will leave a frustrated bunch. Their season is quickly slipping away.
They’ve played some brilliant rugby at times during the year but once again they found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
The visitors took a 17-14 lead into half-time, but only managed a Reece Hodge penalty during the second half.
“I am frustrated,” Rebels coach Kevin Foote said.
“I felt we played well again in the first half and had opportunities to maybe push ahead, but we just didn’t take those opportunities again and at the backend we were scrambling and the game’s getting away from us. Very frustrating.”
Early on it looked like the Rebels would put on a show in front of the small Sydney crowd.
Australia’s burgeoning playmaker Carter Gordon was playing with front-foot ball and doing what he’s done all year.
It led to the Rebels jumping out to a 14-0 after as many minutes.
But in the blink of an eye the game turned as Brad Wilkin was sent to the sin bin for deliberately collapsing the rolling maul and seconds later Jake Gordon pounced on the loose ball from a lineout to level it up.
While the Rebels managed to finish the half with the lead, they would have left feeling annoyed.
The visitors bombed three tries in as many minutes just after the half-hour mark as Monty Ioane dropped a ball out wide, Josh Canham was held up and Wilkin had the ball dislodged when he looked like diving over.
The three blunders proved costly as the home side grew in confidence and the small crowd found their voice.
“Sometimes when they’re good you’ve just got to hang on and try minimise the bleeding or the damage that gets done on the scoreboard,” Coleman said.
“They were all over us in that first 20. We got two quick tries. The maul try was a big swinger and Jake’s work off the lineout was good.
“I thought that monumental moment was sort of around that 32-37 minute maker where they were hammering us and I think we had two held-ups and a bunch of trysavers in there. Going into the sheds at 17-14 was way better than if we had haemorrhaged a bit more.”
Stacey Ili looks dejected as the Waratahs finished over the top of the Rebels in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Nothing went right for the Rebels in the second half starting from the first kick restart as Reece Hodge’s banged the ball out on the full. A penalty at the scrum compounded the Rebels’ woes.
It led to some more prime territory and the home side took full advantage of it, adding a second rolling maul penalty try to get back in front. Adding salt to the wound Canham was shown a yellow card.
While Hodge managed to stem the bleeding with his second penalty, the Rebels were their own worst enemy in the second half as poor handling was met with poor discipline.
A marvellous finish from Mark Nawaqanitawase saw the Waratahs extend their lead.
Mark Nawaqanitawase finishes spectacularly against the Rebels at Allianz Stadium, on May 13, 2023, in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
It was just the type of freaking finish that have many thinking the Waratahs’ winger will be pencilled into Eddie Jones’ plans.
Another three points from Donaldson extended the Waratahs’ lead, before the playmaker ran to the line and broke free.
It could prove the spark Donaldson needs to break the shackles open after a slow start to the year.
“Ben’s just trying to find his form and he’s starting to do that. I’m just happy for him,” Coleman said.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.