No. 8 Wycliff Palu the heartbeat for Waratahs’ charge towards Super Rugby title

IF Wycliff Palu can maintain his staggeringly good form for four more games, then the Waratahs are likely to be holding aloft the Super Rugby title.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 28: Wycliff Palu of the Waratahs offloads during the round 17 Super Rugby match between the Waratahs and the Brumbies at ANZ Stadium on June 28, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

IF Wycliff Palu can maintain his staggeringly good form for four more games, then the Waratahs are likely to be holding aloft the Super Rugby title.

The No. 8 showed yet again how crucial he is to how the Waratahs function, and how they can play best.

Coming off his phenomenal third Test performance against France last week in the gold Wallabies jersey, Palu continued his runaway train form for NSW.

His workrate was astounding in the face of an aggressive Brumbies defence who could not find a way to halt Palu’s metre-eating.

The magic of Israel Folau, the zip of Michael Hooper, the poise of Bernard Foley, and the might of Tatafu Polota-Nau are all key ingredients to the Waratahs’ surge to the top of the table.

But Palu is like the beating heart for the rest of the body; when he is pumping, so are they.

Two runs within 30 seconds, then another a minute later.

Cleaning out rucks like bulldozer. Racing up and hitting runners like a wrecking ball flung from a crane.

Waratahs No. 8 Wycliff Palu gets an offload away against the Waratahs.

Palu’s ball-running was particularly damaging to the Brumbies at ANZ Stadium, splintering their defence and their intentions to slow the ruck ball for the dangerous NSW attack.

And the 31-year-old becomes even more crucial to NSW’s chances for a maiden premiership now that it appears skipper Dave Dennis will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Dennis’ workrate in the tight has given Palu and Hooper more freedom in attack.

Waratahs coach Michael Cheika will either move Jacques Potgieter from lock to blindside flanker, who use replacement backrower Stephen Hoiles in that position for the remaining games.

In any case, Dennis had picked up his own running game in the past three games, giving NSW heavy punch through the middle.

Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau charges into the Brumbies defence.

The responsibility now falls back to Palu to bend the line. When he goes forward, inevitably Potgieter, Will Skelton and Sekope Kepu do the same off his work.

Next week’s clash against the Highlanders, at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon, will likely be a more open contest.

The Highlanders, unlike the Brumbies, prefer to ball play among forwards and backs and there will be space on both sides.

Palu, who seems to be in the form of his career despite his numerous injuries in previous years, can create havoc in the middle of a spread field.

Palu capped off an outstanding night against the Brumbies with a try in the final minute.

He was still running, still aware of where the play was going, and notched a thoroughly-deserved five-pointer.

But the try was surplus to the real work he managed to get through in the previous 79 minutes.

Originally published as No. 8 Wycliff Palu the heartbeat for Waratahs’ charge towards Super Rugby title