Waratahs and Michael Cheika feel the full force of the charge of the Jake White brigade

JAKE White used the Waratahs’ aggression against them to orchestrate the Sharks’ 32-10 win and send a blunt message to Michael Cheika.

Waratahs centre Kurtley Beale lies prone on the turf and receives some attention from trainers.

MASTERCOACH Jake White used the Waratahs’ own aggression against them to orchestrate the Sharks’ 32-10 victory and send a blunt message to Michael Cheika about his side’s maiden title aspirations.

Just days after being installed as premiership favourites, the Waratahs were soundly out-thought and outplayed in Durban by the team who deserve to be favourites and are now six points clear at the top of the table.

After the two-tries-to-one victory White said he owed thanks to Cheika after the Tahs had talked up aggression and physicality all week, adding that his pre-game address to the Sharks consisted of writing their comments on a whiteboard in the dressing room.

News_Image_File: Waratahs scrumhalf Nick Phipps becomes embroiled in a spat with Sharks flanker Jean Deysel.

The game was far more of an arm-wrestle than the 22-point margin suggests, but was essentially decided by two moments.

In the first, Sharks skipper Bismark du Plessis remonstrated with referee Mike Fraser in the 37th minute about an alleged punch by a Tahs player in a scrum five minutes earlier.

“Honestly my team did not punch once. Every time pulling, punching in the scrums — we’re not going to take it anymore,” du Plessis said.

Fraser told du Plessis: “Don’t react to it” to which the hooker replied: “No we’re not going to react to it, but you can’t keep punching, punching, punching.”

News_Image_File: ... and then players from both sides came rushing to break up the pair.

Fraser told him: “No, I agree.”

While NSW skipper Dave Dennis complained minutes later about a Sharks player punching in the same scrum that du Plessis was referring to, the seed had already been planted in Fraser’s mind.

This match was punctuated by shoving exchanges, heated words, behind the play roughness, and Fraser was exasperated, warning both captains numerous times to pull their players in line.

News_Image_File: Waratahs captain Dave Dennis watches the match against the Sharks after receiving a yellow card.

When Dennis pushed du Plessis innocuously during another scrum bust-up in the 48th minute, Fraser consulted his touchline assistant and sin-binned the Tahs leader.

It was never a yellow-card offence, as opposed to the high tackle from Rob Horne on Francois Steyn in the 16th minute or the late tackle by Steyn when he pulled Kurtley Beale dangerously backwards to the ground, with the playmaker’s head slammed on the ground.

Both of those incidents were deemed by the SANZAR judiciary to have met the red card threshold for foul play, with Horne and Steyn facing suspensions.

News_Rich_Media: Waratahs winger Rob Horne and Sharks centre Francois Steyn have been cited for a high shot and dangerous tackle respectively during their Super Rugby clash at the Loftus Versfeld.

But in a niggle-filled match du Plessis made big noise about NSW’s tactics and Dennis paid a heavy price.

Minutes later, the Sharks scored the first try of the match by rolling through the undermanned Tahs pack.

Even after Ryan Kankowski’s try the teams shouted at and pushed each other, with stand-in NSW skipper Michael Hooper ordering his teammates to back off.

News_Image_File: An unchallenged Ryan Kankowski wins a lineout ball for the Sharks.

But the damage was done.

From a 12-3 deficit, with one try enough to give NSW a swing in momentum, the Sharks were up 19-3 and there was no coming back.

NSW blew their attacking chances with loose passing and loose hands, while the absence of Israel Folau became more pronounced with each failed raid.

News_Image_File: Sharks coach Jake White had some pointed words for Waratahs opposite Michael Cheika.

“There had been a lot of talk in the media about [going] toe to toe and intensity and aggression, so I suppose I must thank Mike [Cheika] for making my team talk easier, I just put it all on the board,” the media reported White as saying post-match.

When Cheika’s assessment that the match had been close was put to White, he retorted: “Whatever Michael Cheika says, we believe, don’t we.

“I just want to see if our coaches’ box is still all right, because I have to get [chief executive John Smit] to get some insurance for it.

“Hopefully it’s not too damaged.”