In their final home game of the season, the Waratahs said farewell to their fans, departing players and almost certainly to their finals hopes after going down 48-33 to the Crusaders.
The Waratahs were desperate to burrow their way into the top six on the ladder, but barring a mathematical miracle ahead of their last two away games against the Force and the Auckland Blues, they are left to play for pride.
The Crusaders prevailed in a tense contest in Sydney on Friday night. Credit: Getty Images
Waratahs captain Jake Gordon, normally the most stoic of players, couldn’t hide his disappointment at his side’s performance in the post-match press conference, holding his head in his hands between speaking.
Asked how he ranked this game in terms of losses while captain of the Waratahs, Gordon replied that the defeat against the Crusaders came top.
“This is the worst I reckon because we’re a better team than that,” Gordon said.
“I guess it is familiar this position, but the way we’ve performed at home this year, I thought we’ve performed really well and tonight was nowhere near it. For what was on the line and some of the guys that we were seeing off, this is not the way they deserved it to finish.”
Gordon referenced “systemic issues” that have affected the Waratahs for some time and his coach Dan McKellar said that change was soon at hand.
“It’s definitely not an ability thing, there’s no way it’s an ability thing,” McKellar said. “But I’ve been here a while now, a number of months now, and I think there are some things that are going to take time to change.
“There’s some people that are too comfortable and that needs to change, because if you’re too comfortable, just happy to be here and wear the tracksuit, that will change.”
For many Waratahs players and the Crusaders’ James O’Connor, this game also served as an important late audition for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series with the onlooking Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt installed in a coaching box at Allianz Stadium.
With the exception of Angus Bell and Langi Gleeson, in a disastrous first half, the Waratahs fluffed their lines in front of the coaching maestro as they jogged back to the changing rooms 24 points down. NSW were passive in defence and clueless in attack.
The Waratahs badly missed the ability of the injured Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to provide game-changing moments in their backline, but the Crusaders were also shorn of their world-class All Black fullback Will Jordan, alongside his international teammates Codie Taylor and Scott Barrett.
At the break, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar told Stan Sport that he simply wanted his players to show that they cared and his side at least succeeded on this metric.
Jake Gordon runs the ball.Credit: Getty Images
In the second half, the Waratahs not only successfully woke up the comparatively small crowd, but came close to pulling off an unlikely upset from the poorest of starts.
After just three minutes of the game, with their first attacking opportunity, Crusaders five-eighth Rivez Reihana threw a dummy that fooled the Waratahs’ defence to open a gap for fullback Johnny McNicholl to score.
The Waratahs’ attempt to play with width and adventure was stunted after Triston Reilly’s pass was intercepted on the halfway line with Crusaders centre Braydon Ennor racing through to score his side’s second try.
Within 16 minutes, the Waratahs looked totally out of energy, looking at each other under the posts blankly, as they were unable to stop a rolling maul with Crusaders hooker Ioane Moananu crashing over.
So often this season, the departing Langi Gleeson has provided inspiration when NSW have desperately needed it.
The No.8 looked to have touched the ball down over the line, but ultimately TMO Richard Kelly ruled it out after not seeing clear evidence. Minutes later, Gleeson dived over and presented a crystal clear picture that couldn’t be ruled out.
Crusaders wing Chay Fihaki interrupted the Waratahs’ brief revival with a smart finish in the right-hand corner after a break from McNicholl.
Cullen Grace scored the Crusaders’ fifth try of the first half to give the visitors a 24-point lead at half-time.
The Waratahs’ passivity in defence and inability to take rare attacking chances forced McKellar to turn to prop Taniela Tupou to come off the bench to provide a desperately needed spark on a sodden field.
After Tupou drove close and was held just short of the line, Gleeson dived over for his second try of the night, underlining his case for Wallabies selection in front of Schmidt. Second-rower Miles Amatosero then dived over the Crusaders’ pack to move the Waratahs closer to an unlikely comeback, reducing the deficit to just ten points.
The Crusaders’ extended their lead to 17 through winger Sevu Reece who equalled the Super Rugby try-scoring record with the 68th five-pointer of his decorated career. After a difficult evening in attack and defence, Wallabies winger Darby Lancaster spectacularly dived over All Blacks centre David Havili to score in the corner which was converted by Jack Bowen to put NSW within 10 points.
Ultimately, it was O’Connor who had much of the final say on the game, kicking a penalty and making a break to help set up Tom Christie for his side’s seventh try.
Triston Reilly’s 79th try after a well-timed kick from Joey Walton added some polish to a scoreboard that hadn’t stopped moving all evening.
With just two games of the season left, McKellar and his staff still haven’t worked out the answers to their team’s split personality. The Waratahs can compete with any side in Super Rugby, but the problem with their final match of the season in Sydney is that it only lasted one half of rugby.
