NSW Waratahs
7
Match Complete
Chiefs
40
| 80 |  | S. Wainui | ||
| 70 |  | K. Trask | ||
| 69 | | T. Florence | ||
| 52 | | B. Gatland | ||
| 50 | | S. Wainui | ||
| 45 | | B. Gatland | ||
| 44 | | S. Wainui | ||
| W. Harrison | | 34 | ||
| M. Nawaqanitawase | | 33 | ||
| 15 | | B. Gatland | ||
| 14 | | S. Wainui | ||
| 2 | | B. Gatland | ||
| 1 | | S. Wainui |
| 1 | Tries | 6 | ||
| 1 | Conversions | 5 | ||
| 0 | Penalty Goals | 0 | ||
| 0 | Field Goals | 0 |
The final home-and-away match of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman sees the NSW Waratahs hosting the Chiefs with one last chance to avoid a winless 2021 season. Follow along with the action from Brookvale with live scores on The Roar from 7:45pm (AEST).
Eight losses from eight in Super Rugby AU, and now four from four in the Trans-Tasman competition: 2021 has been nothing short of a nightmare for the Waratahs. Not only that, but they have lost every match against a New Zealand opponent by a minimum of 26 points. How the mighty have fallen.
A thirteenth defeat here would see them become the first professional football team in Australia to go through a year winless, with a minimum of 10 games, since the Roosters in the 1966 NSWRFL season, if you thought the situation wasn’t already embarrassing enough.
Making matters worse, the Tahs have been hit by an injury crisis, with captain Jake Gordon (leg), Jack Maddocks (hand) and Dave Porecki (calf) all to finish the season on the sidelines, after sustaining their injuries in last week’s 59-23 loss to the Highlanders. They do welcome back Tom Horton, James Ramm and Hugh Sinclair from injury, while Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco gets his first start at number eight following his mid-year move from Japan.
The Chiefs, too, will be bowing out of the competition after tonight, and are all but certain to finish as the lowest-ranked of the five New Zealand sides. While they’ve only lost once, a thriller to the Reds, they have escaped with a number of close wins, just as they did in the run to the Super Rugby Aotearoa final.
They will still be without the talismanic Damian McKenzie through suspension, but welcome back captain Brad Weber to take on the Tahs, as well as winger Sean Wainui. The Chiefs have opted to give Anton Lienert-Brown a slight rest by naming him on the bench.
The Chiefs are the only New Zealand team to have conceded more points than they’ve scored across the Aotearoa and Trans-Tasman tournaments. They’ll need to beat the Waratahs by at least 28 points to avoid that fate.
Game information
Kick-off: 7:45pm (AEST)
Venue: Brookvale Oval, Sydney
TV: 9Gem
Live stream: Stan Sport
Betting: Waratahs $9.20, Chiefs $1.06 (odds via PlayUp)
Teams
Waratahs
1. Andrew Tuala, 2. Tom Horton, 3. Te Tera Faulkner, 4. Hugh Sinclair, 5. Jack Whetton, 6. Lachlan Swinton, 7. Jack Dempsey, 8. Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco, 9. Jack Grant, 10. Will Harrison, 11. James Ramm, 12. Lalakai Foketi, 13. Izaia Perese, 14. Alex Newsome (c), 15. Mark Nawaqanitawase
Reserves: 16. Robbie Abel, 17. Pek Cowan, 18. Chris Talakai, 19. Sam Caird, 20. Jeremy Williams, 21. Will Harris, 22. Henry Robertson, 23. Tane Edmed
Chiefs
1. Aidan Ross, 2. Bradley Slater, 3. Angus Ta’avao, 4. Zane Kapeli, 5. Tupou Vaa’i, 6. Pita Gus Sowakula, 7. Lachlan Boshier, 8. Luke Jacobson, 9. Brad Weber (c), 10. Bryn Gatland, 11. Sean Wainui, 12. Quinn Tupaea, 13. Alex Nankivell, 14. Shaun Stevenson, 15. Kaleb Trask
Reserves: 16. Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17. Ollie Norris, 18. Reuben O’Neill, 19. Viliami Taulani, 20. Tom Florence, 21. Xavier Roe, 22. Anton Lienert-Brown, 23. Chase Tiatia
Faith
Roar Rookie
I think there was some real agression (read force) that made it hard to reduce it to a yellow.
Sinclair Whitbourne
Roar Rookie
Thuggers, as a 40 year watcher of rugby in this country, I am still struggling to grasp what it is about Waratah rugby that goes so wrong, so often. There is nothing inherently wrong with the place, as it produces so many outstanding players and when one watches the club scene there is the full range of playing styles and it is easy to forget that the Brumbies were largely built on the back of NSW rugby players and coaches (not to diminish some fine QLD and ACT input). The state is home to the rugby nous and style of Randwick, Eastwood and Gordon. These are really good clubs that play/played smart and attractive rugby. But the next step up just turns to poo so often. Do players, coaches etc. get caught up in a eastern suburbs/north shore bubble and come to drown in their own rubbish? I have always wondered if they would play to their capacity more if they were based in Newcastle, or Goulburn (a kind of Siberian exile), or Albury or Wagga or similar - i.e. away from Sydney (even if they played mostly in Sydney). Any thoughts? To be clear, this isn't an exercise in NSW bashing, it is genuine mystification.
Coker
Roar Rookie
Not quite true. Penney never played for or coached the Crusaders, only Canterbury NPC.
Machooka
Roar Guru
Did I miss anything?
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Didn't see it! Sorry.
WEST
Roar Guru
Geezas… flush the season down the dunny. Wonder if this outfit will learn from this??
AndyS
Guest
NZ are indeed strong because of their NPC. That is why Australia needs an equivalent, not a suburban grade comp with pretensions. If that worked, it would be the Auckland club comp you'd be pointing at, not the M10. But it's not.
Guess
Roar Rookie
Funny you say blues are in final. Of a weaker comp.. they didn’t have to play Crusaders. Besides the Blues have never had the same problems tahs have.
Guess
Roar Rookie
Next year we're aiming for no trans Tasman :happy:
Adsa
Roar Rookie
Tahs go nude for season, shocker (powered by Shute Shield).
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
The silly smiley gave nothing away to you, champ?
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
I picked Swinton to be a Wallaby before his hit on Whitelock, but was prepared to wait. Then I kept putting $10 on the Aussie sides over this TT because of the ridiculous odds, even the Tahs tonight. But when I go to bed tonight I know when I wake up - it's going to be Groundhog Day.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
To blood their players, NSW for one should tour NZ and play their NPC sides (5-8 games culimnating in perhaps a rep game against a BaaBaas side of North/South Island XV. Don't use Super players. NSW has a spare $2 million up their sleeves ATM.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Indeed. Jock just wants the good old days where players from Penrith to Perth drive east until they hit Woollahra. Never mind we now have so many more pro-standard players coming from other regions.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Head butt is a head butt!
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Brad Thorn has already raised the possibility of sending some players to NZ's NPC.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
A club-based competition is not going to cut it. The Australian Rugby Shield or NRC needs to be brought back; that middle tier is missing and that is what has to return.
Greysy
Roar Rookie
A dumb one?
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Yes it has to be from the top. I agree that protecting players has to be the priority, and kiwi refs have been too lenient, but some things are unavoidable.
TC
Roar Rookie
Just want to clarify This would be funded by the ARU and if the players aren't up to standard, it's not a free ride..They don't play, but they see what is required to make it at that Level