Waratahs waste first-half dominance to lose 12th in a row against Blues
Losing to the Blues is nothing to be ashamed of. Having defeated the Super Rugby finalists last season, Kiwi’s strong team had won their last 11 games against the Waratahs. But their 12th will be one of the toughest to stomach for NSW.
The Waratahs led 17-8 at half-time but it could and should have been so much more. The Waratahs dropped the ball with the try line in sight on four occasions and kept the ball over the line twice. Ultimately, they were punished by a Blues team who had a sloppy first half and scored four tries of their own in the second half to comfortably win the game 35-20.
The only thing worse than being criticized in Australian rugby is not being talked about at all. And the Waratahs’ third successive Super Rugby defeat is likely to be met with something approaching indifference. The attendance of 14,316, the second-lowest attendance of the year, and the nearly empty press box were evidence that the team faced even tougher challenges ahead.
The Waratahs faced significant difficulties before kick-off, with outside center Triston Reilly withdrawing late with a groin injury. Joey Walton wore jersey number 13 and Lawson Creighton came off the bench to play at center.
The Blues capitalized on some early indiscipline from the Waratahs, which has become a recurring feature of their play, and New Zealand Test halfback Finlay Christie scrambled over for his team’s first try with barely two minutes remaining. For the next 30 minutes, the Waratahs dominated possession, barely leaving the Blues half but failed to make it count on the scoreboard.
The Waratahs had the opportunity to respond and left at least four tries on the table. Both Walton and Miles Amatosero separately shot the ball meters from the line. The third dropped ball was arguably the worst; Winger Harry Potter could not hold on as he received a hard blow during the intervention.
Five-eighth Jack Debreczeni made a clear run with only the try line in sight, but rather than support his pace he looked for support and threw a wild pass that replacement George Poolman could not catch. In the end, the Waratahs’ possession and pressure were rewarded with Debreczeni scoring a try despite Amatosero’s controversial forward pass, which contributed to Sid Harvey’s earlier penalty.
Just before half-time the Waratahs extended their lead to nine points after Dan Botha was tipped over the line by their forward, eventually punishing a Blues defense who had given up little.
Apart from a rare lapse when he struck the ball squarely, Harvey enjoyed an outstanding debut for the Waratahs. The full-back was unlucky not to be rewarded with a try assist after a brilliantly driven strike that turned perfectly and flew into Potter’s hands, but the winger again failed to hold on to the ball with the line in sight. Harvey also scored a superb strike from the kick-off, providing a ray of light in an otherwise dark night for the NSW rugby team.
Blues center AJ Lam’s converted try and Beauden Barrett penalty took the lead back for the Blues and from then on they never looked like being beaten.
The Waratahs could have easily put the game to bed after 40 minutes but instead had to deal with a resurgent Blues side in the second half. Lam’s second try of the game highlighted the away team’s superiority. One final bonus try for the Blues came from Torian Barnes.
