How the Waratahs plan to bounce back from winless 2021 campaign
Bus-trip karaoke and vulnerable revelations of personal resilience have stripped the NSW Waratahs of last year’s historically heavy baggage.
New coach Darren Coleman — fresh off a title with the LA Giltinis in the USA in their inaugural season — has brought his unique spin to things since arriving at Daceyville to resuscitate a Tahs side that lost every game last year.
And the players have responded, Wallabies centre Izaia Perese doing his best to describe the atmosphere before Friday’s crucial season opener against Super Rugby Pacific debutants Fijian Drua.
“It’s definitely a style I haven’t seen before, but it’s a style that’s 100 percent backed by all of us,” he said of their trip to far-flung Roma on the weekend to play the Queensland Reds.
“The proof’s in the pudding; the bus ride here was probably one of the funnest I’ve had.”
Perese said a terrible rendition of Beyonce’s Halo was a highlight, while the mood shifted when each player was sat on a chair and asked to detail an example of them overcoming adversity.
“We go deep into our stories of resilience and that brings us closer,” the 24-year-old said.
“The camaraderie; everyone loves each other, everyone’s equal.”
Brisbane-born Perese has his share of those stories to tell.
Plucked from the Queensland Reds as a 20-year-old to join the Wallabies squad, Perese then shifted to rugby league where his NRL career was just two games in before a drugs charge resulted in him being booted from the Broncos.
An unhappy stint in French rugby followed before the Waratahs provided a crucial second chance that he accepted gleefully by being one of the bright spots of a gloomy 2021 campaign.
“I feel really happy and content; the journey I’ve been through on the last couple of years was a journey I had to take,” Perese, who is now a father of three after the birth of twins in January, said.
“I wouldn’t take it back because I wouldn’t be the man I am today.”
While one of the more experienced heads in the side, there is another layer of wisdom since the arrival of 35-year-old British and Irish Lions centre Jamie Roberts.
Perese said his presence had already added plenty but that the tone had been set early by Coleman, a former five-eighth with a rich coaching history in NSW club rugby.
“We’ve always had the talent, DC has brought very high standards, you don’t want to let him down,” he said.
“And that was known early; you don’t want to slip up or not know your role or he’ll put you on show, and you don’t want that.
“We’ve had years of success but last year was our lowest so we’ve got so much to prove and we’ve got each other’s backs.”
Those routine floggings can be consigned to the past on Friday in Parramatta if the Waratahs can smother the free-wheeling offence of the tournament rookies.
“We’re not taking the Drua lightly at all; the first game is like first impressions and we’re going in to win and win convincingly,” Perese said.
“With the Drua the key is solid, dual contact.
“That ball’s just a bar of soap, when they get it out to offload they’ll score, so we need to shut that down.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
2 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
2 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
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