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'It feels like a loss': Waratahs win but Rebels still celebrating
NSW Waratahs were unable to disguise their despair even in victory after edging the Melbourne Rebels 38-32 in a nine-try Super Rugby AU thriller at Leichhardt Oval. Despite the win, Melbourne finished the moral victors after Matt Toomua’s 77th-minute penalty goal earned the Rebels a priceless bonus point that may well prove decisive in the race to the finals.
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The Waratahs skipped four competition points clear of the Rebels on the table but, with a bye in next week’s final round, now face an anxious wait to see if they qualify for the playoffs.
The scenario is simple: if Melbourne beat the winless Western Force by four points or more in Newcastle next Saturday, the Rebels will taste finals football for the first time and the Waratahs will miss out.
“For me, it feels a bit like a loss. I still haven’t got my head around the fact that we actually won. Yeah, so mixed feelings,” Waratahs coach Rob Penney said.
The Baby Tahs only have themselves to blame for being in such a predicament. Ill-discipline has cost them all season but the killer on Saturday night was young five-eighth Will Harrison not finding touch after a penalty with his side in control, leading 31-17 midway through the second half.
Super Rugby AU | Rebels v Waratahs – Rd 9 Highlights
The @NSWWaratahs survived a tense do-or-die clash against a determined @MelbourneRebels on Saturday night, keeping their Super Rugby AU season alive.#SuperRugby #SuperRugbyAU #REBvWAR pic.twitter.com/Bj8jE0Ubzx
— Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) August 29, 2020
The Rebels wasted no time punishing the Waratahs for the cardinal sin, spreading the ball wide to Marika Koroibete to score in the left corner. Not for the first time in 2020, the Tahs will rue blowing a big lead – and having lock Ned Hanigan yellow-carded in the shadows of half-time didn’t help either.
Leading 14-3 at the time, after early tries to Jake Gordon and Jack Dempsey, the Tahs conceded tries either side of half-time while a man down to invite the Rebels back into the contest.
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The Waratahs regained the ascendancy with further five-pointers to Harry Johnson – Holmes and Joey Walton, only for Harrison’s blunder to again turn the tide.
But there was even another twist after Wallabies captain Michael Hooper’s charge-down effort to set up a 76th-minute try for Harrison appeared to have denied the Rebels their all-important bonus point.
But Toomua, who also opened the scoring with a penalty, had the final say with another clean strike that could well have ended the Waratahs’ season.
If it has, Hooper – the last survivor from NSW’s 2014 title-winning team – has played his last game for the Waratahs until 2022 after revealing plans this week to head to Japan next year for a six-month sabbatical.
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NSW WARATAHS 38 (Dempsey, Gordon, Harrison, Johnson-Holmes, Walton tries; Harrison 5 cons, pen) REBELS 32 (Naisarani 2, Koroibete, To’omua tries; To’omua 3 cons, 2 pens)
#REBvWAR | Fulltime at Leichhardt Oval in a cracker of a match. We're still alive in Vodafone Super Rugby AU.
May the force be with us next week.#fortheloveofrugby?? pic.twitter.com/ObbJBzMGkq
— NSW Waratahs (@NSWWaratahs) August 29, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Hi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
3 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
3 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to comments