1
Waratahs self-destruct in new stadium as visiting Sharks earn away win
The NSW Waratahs have found yet another way to derail their Super Rugby campaign: hit the self-destruct button.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Waratahs had lock Jed Holloway sent off and flanker Jack Dempsey sin-binned in a costly 23-15 loss to the Sharks at Parramatta’s plush new Bankwest Stadium on Saturday night.
Playing with only 13 men against 15 for a crucial five-minute period in the second half, the Tahs blew a golden opportunity to leapfrog the Melbourne Rebels and seize the Australian conference lead ahead of a two-game trip to South Africa.
The match was in the balance at 10-10 when Holloway was shown a red card for elbowing Sharks prop Thomas du Toit in the head in the 46th minute.
Australian referee Nic Berry also issued du Toit a yellow card for holding Holloway back but said Holloway had taken matters in his own hands with his unnecessary retaliation.
Holloway is the first Waratahs player to be sent off since Pat O’Connor earned a red card for headbutting b ack in 2011.
Five minutes later Dempsey was sent for a spell for a tip tackle on Sharks winger Sbusiso Nkosi and it didn’t take long for the tourists to punish the Waratahs.
ADVERTISEMENT
Centre Andre Esterhuizen charged over two minutes later and Curwin Bosch’s conversion had the Sharks 17-10 ahead and with a one-man advantage for the best part of the last half hour.
There was no way back for the Tahs with Bosch putting the boot in with two further penalty goals to secure a priceless away win for the Durban outfit before Bernard Foley crossed for a consolation try after the fulltime siren.
But, such was their night, Foley missed the conversion attempt from virtually in front, denying the Waratahs an important bonus point.
Dejected captain Michael Hooper rued another match that got away.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It was really hard,” Hooper said.
“The Sharks played a really good possession game there, kept putting us down there.
“They took some shots at goal which ate up time. We let the lead get too far out.”
The stinging defeat comes a week after the Waratahs downed the Rebels to breath new life in the fight for Australian conference honours and a guaranteed finals berth.
Daryl Gibson’s Jekyll and Hyde side had stressed all week about the importance of stringing back-to-back victories together.
Alas, they will head to South Africa for potentially season-saving clashes with the Bulls and Lions having won consecutive matches just once in 2019.
Kurtley Beale ahead of Sharks match:
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments