Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Force left winless from five matches as Waratahs make a title statement

By AAP
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The NSW Waratahs made a statement about their Super Rugby AU title intentions, taking down the Western Force 28-8 in their Friday night clash on the Gold Coast. The Waratahs backed up last round’s victory over the Queensland Reds to book successive wins for the first time since March last year.

ADVERTISEMENT

The loss leaves the Force winless from their five matches, despite another competitive showing. The result saw the Waratahs jump into second spot, overtaking the Melbourne Rebels who play the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night, while the competition-leading Brumbies have the bye.

Waratahs skipper Rob Simmons was forced off midway through the second half of the Super Rugby AU fixture with what appeared to be a head knock but looked to have recovered post-match. “That’s huge for us, we addressed it that we hadn’t won two games in a row since March 2019 so that’s huge for us to overcome,” Simmons told Fox Sports.

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you the latest episode of The Aussie Rugby Show featuring Drew Mitchell

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you the latest episode of The Aussie Rugby Show featuring Drew Mitchell

NSW took the early lead with a penalty before the Force opened the try-scoring after veteran centre Richard Kahui grubbered a kick through, with flanker Brynard Stander winning the race to the ball.

The teams exchanged the lead through penalties before Waratahs winger Alex Newsome crossed in the corner on 34 minutes after some neat lead-up work. Waratahs half-back Jake Gordon was brought down just short of the try-line and full-back Jack Maddocks showed his game smarts to spot the defence was short out wide and quickly flung the ball out to Newsome.

Young NSW five-eighth Will Harrison showed his value by converting from the sideline, with his kicking at 93 per cent for the season. The Waratahs looked like they would add another try before half-time but were held up over the line after 23 phases and settled for a 16-8 lead.

Maddocks added to that in the 44th minute when he took an intercept pass from Force playmaker Jono Force and scooted 50 metres to touch down. The Tahs’ No15 appeared likely to make it a double on 60 minutes but his try was called back for obstruction.

ADVERTISEMENT

NSW had a second try disallowed with Gordon ruled to have been offside before he took the ball to score. Replacement prop Harry Johnson-Holmes finally got the reward his team deserved in the final minute, burrowing across the line.

Force captain Ian Prior said they fell short in a few key areas. “It was a really physical encounter and the Waratahs defended well put us under a lot of pressure. I felt we built some nice momentum here and there but we were a bit unlucky in the scrums and the 22 there at different points it swung the game.”

NSW WARATAHS 28 (Johnson-Holmes, Maddocks, Newsome tries; Harrison 2 cons 3 pens) FORCE 8 (Stander try; Prior pen)

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

40 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING England No8 Sarah Beckett banned after leg-breaking croc roll tackle England No8 Sarah Beckett banned after leg-breaking croc roll tackle
Search