With Israel Folau and Taqele Naiyaravoro now gone, it’s up to Cam Clark and co to breathe life into Waratahs’ stuttering attack
The Waratahs have gone from the best attacking team in Australia to the worst in 12 months. It’s time for someone to stand up.
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With four regular rounds of Super Rugby remaining, the Waratahs have managed a total of just 37 this season – 11 more than two players, Israel Folau and Taqele Naiyaravoro, combined for last year.
Both men are now gone.
As NSW coach Daryl Gibson noted a few weeks ago, Naiyaravoro and Folau were largely responsible for their record-breaking attack last year that saw them storm into the semi-finals.
The 132kg Naiyaravoro scored 15 tries and left at the end of the season to join English club Northampton, while Folau has now been sacked by Rugby Australia and will never play for NSW again, having broken the Super Rugby record for most tries (60) in his last appearance.
So who will fill the enormous shoes of these two men?
Cam Clark, Alex Newsome and Curtis Rona are the best remaining finishers in the squad.
Clark, recently returned from his first Wallabies training camp, has the speed and nous to become an X-factor finisher, but says it’s up to the entire Tahs backline to fill the try-scoring hole.
“I don’t feel the pressure of try-scoring at all,” said Clark, who has crossed twice this year.
“Taqele had an ability to score out of nowhere, he could run through five players and crash over, nobody in our backline has that ability.
“Israel is a big loss, he was probably the best player in the air in the world.
“It is going to come down to our whole backline creating opportunities and creating space for players.
“I definitely don’t feel that personally I have to score a lot of tries now, it is something the whole team will have to work together to achieve.
“My role won’t change from what I have been doing this year heading into the final four weeks. I still think I’ve got a lot to work on and improve, I can definitely get more involved in backline plays and go looking for the ball.”
After blitzing rival defences in 2018, NSW has scored the least amount of tries of any of the four Australian teams this season.
Folau has missed the past five games yet still remains their equal top tryscorer with four alongside Newsome, and leads their linebreaks (10) and try assists (four).
Highlighting the loss of Naiyaravoro from last year, the Tahs are averaging just 2.4 linebreaks per game down their left channel, compared to four linebreaks per game in 2018 when the giant Fijian was running amok.
“We definitely have the ability to score points if we hold onto the ball,” Clark said.
“It comes down to our attacking structure, and wearing teams down. We want to hold onto the ball and pressure our way into points.
“Our defence as well can really put pressure on the best attacking teams, and this weekend against the Jaguares will be a good test.”
The Argentinian side has won four of their past five games, including an impressive victory against the Hurricanes in Wellington last Friday.
NSW, third on the Australian conference but only three points behind leaders the Brumbies, must win three of their four remaining games to qualify for the finals starting with Saturday’s showdown at Parramatta’s Bankwest Stadium.
“We’ve just got to win this week,” Clark said.
“We can’t afford to think about a run into the finals. We went into the Reds game last week with that attitude, that it’s do or die with the position we’re in on the table and that hasn’t changed.”
After waiting in the wings at the Tahs, Clark’s mid-season flurry resulted in a surprise call-up by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika to the national training camp in Brisbane.
His stunning effort to save a certain try by Reds hooker Alex Mafi will only have enhanced his reputation, but Clark is remaining low-key on his Test chances.
“I know I’m definitely on the fringes,’ Clark said.
“It was definitely a surprise to get called into the camp, it was amazing to be part of that group.
“But I’m not getting too carried away.
“They gave me some pointers on what to work on.
“It was great get a taste of it, and hopefully it’s not the last time.”
The 26-year-old former Sevens star is desperate to make the most of his opportunity.
“It took me a while to get some game time this year, at the start of the season I was missing out on action,” Clark said.
“I am enjoying getting some good minutes on the field now.”