Super Rugby: Brumbies beat Waratahs 19-13

A stuttering Waratahs side suffered defeat to the Brumbies after being physically battered in the nation’s capital on Friday night.

Waratahs winger Israel Folau in action against the Brumbies on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

• Brumbies 19 Waratahs 13

A stuttering Waratahs side suffered defeat to the Brumbies after being physically battered in the nation’s capital on Friday night.

It was NSW’s second defeat in four games to begin their Super Rugby campaign and the lacklustre play hardly bodes well as they prepare for the arrival of defending champions the Crusaders next weekend.

The Brumbies, led by hooker Folau Fainga’a and backrower Lachie McCaffrey, bounced back from successive losses to notch their second win of the season and keep the Australian conference battle tight.

A small but vocal crowd of 12,112 fans cheered the Brumbies home as NSW made errors and tactical mistakes in the derby match.

Waratahs lock Ned Hanigan is smashed in a tackle on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

BUNGLING BACKLINE

They look like diamonds on paper but are producing rocks on the field.

The Tahs’ star-studded backline just isn’t clicking with precision so far this season.

True, it’s early, but looking at the scintillating cohesion of the Crusaders and Hurricanes backlines already this year, lack of time is not an excuse.

There were glimpses of brilliance – a sweeping set play to set free Rona in the first half, the way Israel Folau drew three tacklers before offloading for Alex Newsome’s 49th minute try – but their blunders were telling.

Bernard Foley’s rolling pass that went through Newsome’s legs into touch, Kurtley Beale’s forward pass to Adam Ashley-Cooper, Foley dropping Beale’s inside pass, it was hardly an advertisement for the attacking excellence NSW planned.

Waratahs winger Israel Folau offloads against the Brumbies on Friday night. Picture: Getty Images

SET-PIECE WOE

It wasn’t just the backs’ fault.

Their handling jitters spread to the forwards late in the game when Jed Holloway spilt an easy ball with the Tahs deep in attack.

But NSW failed the fundamentals here; scrum, lineout and breakdown.

They gave away crucial scrum penalties, lost lineout throws, and even without David Pocock, the Brumbies dominated the breakdown and won several turnovers by flooding the ruck in numbers.

If they allow themselves to get bullied like this regularly, the Tahs are in for a long season.

FAINGA’A FIRES

We’re still in the dark as to who the starting Wallabies hooker will be at the World Cup, but if the team was picked today Folau Fainga’a is head and shoulders above the rest.

With national coach Michael Cheika in the stands, Fainga’a produced another robust display that puts him in leading contention for the Australian No. 2 jersey after the constant chopping and changing last year in the key position.

Fainga’a first lineout throw went over his jumpers, but after that the 23-year-old commanded the game.

He smashed Ned Hanigan in a tackle, forcing a turnover, and let his Wallabies teammate know all about it.

Brumbies hooker Folau Fainga'a celebrates scoring against the Waratahs. Picture: Getty Images

From that ensuing penalty in the 14th minute, the Brumbies kicked for touch, with Fainga’a nailing his lineout and then backing up two phases later to storm onto the ball and crash through Harry Johnson-Holmes and Curtis Rona for the Brumbies’ first try.

Nine minutes later he scored his second try from a rolling lineout drive.

Their third five-pointer in the 54th minute may as well have been his too, although referee Glen Jackson officially awarded it a penalty try.

Fainga’a showed incredible patience at the back of the rolling maul when others would have been tempted to peel off and lunge at the line. Instead, he kept the ball in as the Brumbies pack and half their backline inched towards NSW’s line before the maul was pulled down, resulting in the penalty try that put the home side 19-10.

Fainga’a went off shortly after, and his power-packed 57 minutes was a major statement.

VALETI-NO

On the day it was announced Rob Valetini had signed a two-year extension with Australian rugby and the Brumbies, the bullocking backrower suffered a worrying knee injury.

Valetini was helped off the field in the 53rd minute after a nasty collision.

He’d jumped for the ball and was tackled low by Lachlan Swinton, while Rob Simmons came over the top, bending Valetini backwards while his leg was trapped.

The 20-year-old, who has been in the Wallabies’ World Cup camps and is a potential Test debutant this year, clutched at his knee and was down for a few minutes before trainers helped him hobble off.

Valetini will have scans to determine the extent of his injury; neither the Brumbies nor Wallabies can afford to lose a player of his caliber for an extended period of time.

 BRUMBIES 19 (1 penalty try) (Folau Fainga’a 2 tries Christian Leali’ifano con) NSW WARATAHS 13 (Michael Hooper, Alex Newsome tries Bernard Foley pen) at GIO Stadium. Referee: Glen Jackson. Crowd: 12,112.

Originally published as Super Rugby: Brumbies beat Waratahs 19-13