Coach Dan McKellar didn’t hesitate when asked about the significance of the Waratahs’ shock 21-14 win over the Chiefs at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium. After two tough losses away from home, the Tahs got their season back on track with the “really important” upset.
At the midway point of the season, the Chiefs sat in first place on the ladder with one loss away to the Fijian Drua the only blip on their record. Damian McKenzie had been key to the team’s success, with the playmaker sitting top five in Player of the Year voting after eight rounds.
McKellar had said earlier in the week that the Chiefs were “probably favoured to win the comp” under coach Clayton McMillan. But the Waratahs didn’t shy away from the challenge, having shot out of the blocks with a red-hot first-half on Friday night.
Rugby Australia’s marquee recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii scored the opener midway through the first term, which came after Teddy Wilson’s disallowed try. Winger Triston Reilly helped extend the Tahs’ lead to 14 points with another score quickly after Suaallii’s effort.
Wilson finished off a try-of-the-season contender four minutes into the second term. The Chiefs did score through Leroy Carter and Samipeni Finau during the round nine clash, but the Waratahs’ defence stood tall – defending almost 30 phases with time up on the clock.
“Huge. Really important because we haven’t been good enough the last two weeks,” McKellar told reporters about 40 minutes after full-time.
“We had an off night in Wellington and if we had backed up the first 40 in the second half last week, we probably would have been sitting here with another win.
“But good learnings, and as I keep saying, we’ve got to be patient and need to understand that it will take time. The green shoots are starting to appear.”
After starting their season with four wins from five starts, the Tahs’ campaign took a turn for the worst after suffering a heavy 57-12 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington. The following week, New South Wales were beaten 45-28 by Moana Pasifika in Albany.
The Tahs still sat inside the top six, but only just, ahead of their clash with the Chiefs. With that result, the Waratahs shot up to fourth on the ladder, although there are still four more matches to play in round nine at the time of writing.
Unbeaten at home so far this season, the Waratahs will look to keep the good times rolling in a crunch clash against rivals Queensland Reds on May 9. But before then, McKellar’s men travel to Fiji next week to face the Drua before tackling the Brumbies in Canberra on May 3.
“We’ll rotate a couple next week and that was always the plan,” McKellar clarified.
“We’ve got good depth in the positions that we’ll rotate in.
“It’s next man up mentality. Just because we’re rotating a couple of players out that we have to do with Wallaby management, and they’re probably due for it, that doesn’t mean we’re not going up there to win the game.”
