It contained a 120-metre try on the podium for best ever, a star performance from Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and the first organic “New South Wales” chant from a Waratahs crowd in a long, long time.
But the Waratahs’ stirring victory over the Chiefs at Allianz Stadium, which kept the Tahs’ undefeated at home in 2025, was built on the back of a heroic defensive performance, which was powered by an emotional half-time speech from coach Dan McKellar.
Considered rank outsiders against the table-topping Chiefs, who they hadn’t beaten since 2016, the Waratahs tackled themselves to a memorable 21-14 win.
They did it the hard way. After Suaalii had cut open the Chiefs in the first half, and scored his first try in Super Rugby and played a part in the 120m stunner (more on that later), the Waratahs found themselves with a seven-point lead in the last quarter and defending for their lives.
As they copped a credibility-defying hiding from referee Angus Mabey - the final penalty count ended up 18-4 against NSW - the Tahs had to hold firm against waves of Chiefs attack. In the last 15 minutes, the Waratahs made a whopping 89 tackles alone, and after botching a last second lineout that gave the Chiefs the ball, they held firm for an extra five minutes and 28 phases after the siren had sounded.
As the Allianz crowd broke out into a “NSW, NSW” chant, the Tahs defensive wall stayed strong and the hosts avoided a draw and the peril of golden point.
Waratahs players said post-game they’d copped an emotional speech from McKellar at halftime, where the coach had challenged them to ask the question: what does the Waratahs mean to me?
And they answered.
Lalakai Foketi of the Waratahs scores a try but it was disallowed.Credit: Getty Images
McKellar said the halftime address was a continuation of the team’s theme this week, where he asked the players for a strong response after two heavy losses.
“It was just, what does it mean to us?” McKellar said.
“You’ve got to ask yourself, what does it mean? I know it means a lot, but sometimes you need to remind yourself and reflect on that. What does the jersey mean to you? What does your teammates mean to you? What we’re building, what does it mean to you?
And if it means something, then genuinely you go that extra yard and you show that bit more care.
“In terms of fight and courage and just turning up for your mate time after time after time, we certainly saw that.”
There were impressive performers all over the field - Jamie Adamson was tireless in his run-on debut at flanker, Ethan Dobbins was strong at hooker, Teddy Wilson and Lawson Creighton both performed well in the halves, and Suaalii looked, dare we say it, worth every cent.
The defensive pressure saw the normally slick Chiefs rattled and struggling to simply hold the ball. The team’s “rockstar” Damian MacKenzie hd a nightmare, dropping the ball six times and getting pummelled.
“It was disappointing, frustrating, we couldn’t find a way through. We had lots of opportunity but we just have to give credit to the desperation and the accuracy of the Waratahs, who defended like demons,” Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan.
After conceding 102 points in the previous two games, McKellar said the team’s defence had been a huge focus. They made 234 tackles, and missed on 21.
“We keep saying that defence is the most important thing in the building,” McKellar said.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t value attack and we’re starting to see Mike Catt’s attack come to fruition now. But you’ve got to defend well and if we want to be a team that’s full of fight and works hard for each other, time after time after time, then you’ll get reward off the back of it and we got that tonight.”
The Waratahs celebrate their win.Credit: Getty Images
The Tahs were unlucky to not score three tries in the first half, with a Lalakai Foketi try contentiously scrubbed after a spectacular flying corner post dive that saw the ball apparently brush the sideline at the same time it was planted down.
The Waratahs’ try in the 44th minute, scored by Wilson, will be replayed for years. After defending their own line, the ball popped out and Wilson passed the ball across to Andrew Kellaway in his in-goal.
The Tahs winger then set off up field and found Suaalii in support, who also ran upfield before passing inside to Creighton. The NSW no.10 pulled off an incredible overhead tap-on to Kellaway again, who found Wilson for the try. With a curved path, the total distance was an estimated 120 metres.
“Again, through your defence,” McKellar said. “If you win turnover ball and the boys have the belief to, where’s the space? It doesn’t matter whether you’re on your own trial or not, whether we’re one metre out, where’s the space, go and attack it. It was an outstanding team trial off turnover attack and that’s what I keep saying.
“That’s the best times to attack or against unstructured defence and you get that through your defence where you kick and go.”
The victory settled a Waratahs season that could have nosedived with a third straight loss, and the Tahs head to Fiji next week.
“It was a really important win because we haven’t been good enough the last two weeks,” McKellar said.
“We had an off night in Wellington and then if we had it backed up the first 40 in the second half last week, we probably would have been sitting here with another win. But good learnings and as I keep saying, we’ve got to be patient and understand that it’ll take time, but the green shoots are starting to appear.“
McKellar addressed speculation about Taniela Tupou being close to securing a deal with a French club, rumoured to be Pau or Perpignan, by saying he had “no idea” about the news.
He did stress he believes Tupou’s best days can still be ahead of him - at the Waratahs - “if he wants them to be.”
