Flying NSW redhead helps Tahs avoid a right royal upset
A red-haired royal may have caught the attention of the stands, but it was Narrabri’s blood-mad who helped the Waratahs get back to winning ways on the pitch with a win over Moana Pacifica at the Allianz Stadium.
As rugby fan Prince Harry and his wife Meghan looked on, two tries from NSW fullback Sid Harvey proved the difference in a hard-fought 29-14 win over an embattled Moana team who led NSW at half-time.
The victory, secured by the Tahs’ 17-point lead in the second half, was NSW’s first win against Moana Pacifica since 2022 and a 79th-minute bonus point for Folau Faingaa will keep the Waratahs within reach of reaching the top six.
It wasn’t quite a get-out-of-jail victory for NSW, but it wasn’t far off either.
Against Moana Pacifica, who played with emotion (following this week’s news that their team could fold at the end of the season), the sloppy Tahs allowed the away team to generate and sustain energy and took a 14-7 lead in the first quarter.
NSW dominated possession and territory all night on the last-placed Moana team, but made life difficult for themselves by knocking down a mountain of possessions and running into the eager Moana defense in narrow channels. The wide attack stuttered and turnovers (the last tally was 14) saw coach Dan McKellar become increasingly frustrated.
In the end, the Waratahs defeated Moana and scored two tries in the 52nd and 69th minutes to take back the game-winning eight-point lead. A 45-minute lightning delay then ensued, and although the royal crowd were out of the game when play restarted for the remaining 11 minutes, Moana nearly recovered to score and set up a thrilling finish. But a timely strip from Harvey near his own line denied them a try and Faingaa’s try in NSW sealed the deal.
“I thought we handled this break really well as a group,” McKellar said. “I thought the leaders were outstanding. And in the last ten minutes we had a really clear plan of what we needed to do. That was really pleasing.”
“But in some parts, we turned the ball over too much in zone A in the first half, which let the opposition off the hook. We know we need to reduce turnovers, especially in the attacking 22. This takes real pressure off the opposition.”
McKellar said he was delighted to pick up five points and praised the bench for their good impact in the final 30 minutes.
Moana Pacifica coach Tana Umaga said the team had had a “tough week”.
“We made a great effort after last week,” he said. “It actually looked a bit like a game.
“There was a big gap between stop-start. But I thought our players really came together the last few days and we knew we had a job to do. We were really focused on something we could control. I can’t fault that effort.”
The visitors took a 14-12 lead at half-time after a mostly poor first half from the Waratahs, which saw numerous errors and turnovers give Moana Pacifica two tries and deny them the opportunity to score more than two goals of their own.
In a pattern repeated several times throughout the first 40 minutes, NSW began attacking but lost the ball and then gave away back-to-back penalties in their own quarter.
Sharp Moana halfback Melani Matavao struck quickly and crossed in the fourth minute to give the visitors an early dose of confidence.
Moana lost a man soon after when Glen Vaihu shot high but NSW struggled to take advantage despite setting up camp on the Pacifica line. Using route one through the forwards, Tahs’ goalkeeping attack finally paid off in the 15th minute when he turned the ball out wide and Triston Reilly crossed wide for a try.
But the visitors responded as penalties gave Melani the chance to strike quickly and score once again.
NSW captain Matt Philip took issue with the umpires given Melani had kicked the ball to take away the advantage and also hit it in front of goal, but referee James Maybe waved them all off.
The Tahs began to hold the ball longer and continued their camp in the Moana red zone, but Matt Philip was stopped in the 23rd minute.
It didn’t cost the home team much as points were scored from the left wing and Sid Harvey scored with a perfect dive near the corner post in the 23rd minute.
NSW needed to score again in the next 17 minutes but mistakes again and again released the pressure valve and it was the same in the second half.
But pressure came in other forms, too. Moana breached multiple times in their own area and Isaac Kailea eventually dug in for a try after the Tahs were stopped in the 51st minute.
In the end, changes on the bench and mistakes from Moana helped the Tahs put more pressure on the opposition line.
A long ball from Jack Debreczeni found Harvey unmarked on the left byline and he crossed for a second try in the 69th minute.
Blitz in the area then saw play paused for 45 minutes, before play resumed and the Tahs held firm in the final ten minutes.
News, results and expert analysis from the sports weekend delivered every Monday. Sign up for our sports newsletter.
Iain Payten is senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
