There is no shame in losing to the Blues. Beaten Super Rugby finalists last season, the Kiwi powerhouse had won their last 11 against the Waratahs. But their 12th will be one of the hardest for NSW to stomach.
The Waratahs led 17-8 at halftime, but it could and should have been far more. Four times the Waratahs dropped the ball with the tryline in sight and twice they had the ball held up over the line. Ultimately, they were punished by a Blues team that shook off a sloppy first half and ran in four tries of their own in the second half to win the game comfortably, by 35-20.
The only thing worse than being criticised in Australian rugby is not being talked about at all. And the Waratahs’ third successive Super Rugby loss is likely to be met with something approaching apathy. Their second-lowest crowd of the year, 14,316, and a near-empty press box bore witness to a team facing even tougher challenges ahead.
The Waratahs were faced with significant challenges before kick-off, when outside centre Triston Reilly was a late withdrawal due to a groin injury. Joey Walton shifted to the No.13 jersey and Lawson Creighton came off the bench to play inside centre.
The Blues capitalised on some early indiscipline from the Waratahs that became a recurring feature of their game, with New Zealand Test halfback Finlay Christie scrambling over for his team’s first try with barely two minutes gone. For the next 30 minutes, the Waratahs barely left the Blues half, dominating possession but failing to make it count on the scoreboard.
The Waratahs had opportunities to reply and left at least four tries on the table. Both Walton and Miles Amatosero knocked the ball on metres away from the line separately. The third dropped ball was arguably the worst, with winger Harry Potter unable to hang on as he was hit hard in a tackle.
Five-eighth Jack Debreczeni sprinted clear with only the tryline in his sights, but instead of backing his speed he looked for support, throwing a wild pass which replacement George Poolman couldn’t hold. Finally, the Waratahs’ possession and pressure was rewarded with Debreczeni scoring a try, despite a disputed forward pass from Amatosero, adding to an earlier Sid Harvey penalty.
Just before half-time, the Waratahs extended their lead to nine points after prop Dan Botha was shunted over the line by his forwards, finally punishing a Blues defence that had ceded very little.
Apart from a rare blemish when he kicked the ball out on the full, Harvey enjoyed an outstanding debut for the Waratahs. The fullback was unlucky not to be rewarded with a try assist after a perfect grubber kick that spun perfectly and popped up into Potter’s hands, but the winger again wasn’t able to hold it with the line in his sights. Harvey also kicked perfectly from the tee, providing a shaft of light on an otherwise dark night for NSW rugby.
Blues centre AJ Lam’s converted try and a Beauden Barrett penalty reclaimed the lead for the Blues, and from there they never looked like being beaten.
The Waratahs could easily have killed off the game after 40 minutes, but instead were forced to deal with a revitalised Blues side in the second half. Lam’s second try of the game underlined the visitors’ superiority. A final bonus try to the Blues came through Torian Barnes.
