Attack still struggling but Waratahs defence vastly improved

While their attack remains a work in progress, the Waratahs have made huge strides with their defence this season with one statistic showing just how far they’ve come.

Michael Hooper drives Lukhan Salakaia-Loto into the turf in another display of the Waratahs strong defence. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

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If the old sports idiom holds true that defence, rather than attack, wins championships then the Waratahs might be contenders in the making after all.

OK, so no-one’s getting carried away with the Waratahs just yet after an uninspiring start from their superstar backline but while their attack remains a work in progress, defensively, they’ve made huge strides this season.

It’s still early days but in their first three matches so far, they’ve given up just eight tries, the best defensive record of any team in the Australian or New Zealand conferences.

Michael Hooper drives Lukhan Salakaia-Loto into the turf in another display of the Waratahs strong defence. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

That’s already a major improvement on last season when the Waratahs conceded 12 tries from their first three matches and 59 for the season, at an average of almost four a game, the worst of any team that made the playoffs.

Against the Reds last weekend, they put in a double shift, tackling themselves to a standstill after having just 32 per cent possession, and defensive coach Steve Tandy reckons the Waratahs will be even tougher to crack as they get more used to the new systems he’s put in place.

“There’s always areas for improvement,” said the Welshman, who was recruited at the end of last season to specifically to plug the team’s defensive leaks.

“In the first half, there was two sloppy tries conceded, particularly the second one, but in the second half, apart from the one try, I thought we really got into a rhythm and we looked in control even though we didn't have a lot of the football.

Israel Folau knocks Tate McDermott with a heavy tackle. Picture: AAP Image/Craig Golding

“Defensively, I don’t actually like it when we don't have any ball because it means you've got to defend for longer periods but if we can keep the ball for longer with the firepower we’ve got we really want to express ourselves in how we want to attack the game.”

With the Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson selecting different combinations depending on the opposition, Tandy has to make adjustments for every match, and will have to again for Friday’s clash against the Brumbies.

The Brumbies like to attack with driving mauls off the back of lineouts while the added threat of David Pocock at the breakdown means the Waratahs also need to be thinking defensively when they have the ball.

With the Wallabies on a two-day camp, the Waratahs will only train together twice this week before heading to Canberra so still haven’t decided on their line-up.

Replacement flanker Will Miller has already been ruled out after injuring his ankle against the Reds but halfback Nick Phipps could be ready to make his comeback after tweaking his calf in a previous Wallabies’ pre-season camp and missing a month of action.

“He trained last week, so I think his training's going to go up again this week so then we'll review and probably make that decision later in the week,” Tandy said.