‘One of those games that will stick with you for life’: How Waratahs snapped their record losing streak

During his nine seasons at the Brumbies, including five as head coach, Dan McKellar took immense pride at being one of the key architects of their sustained dominance over the Waratahs.

On Saturday night, McKellar returned to torment his former employers at Allianz Stadium, snapping the Waratahs’ record streak of 13 losses against the Brumbies and breathing life back into one of the fiercest rivalries in Australian rugby. Here’s how the Waratahs did it.

Harnessing the hurt

McKellar was once been tasked by Stephen Larkham at the Brumbies to create the strongest maul in Super Rugby. Last Saturday, he could only watch helplessly as a Reds rolling maul rumbled 25 metres and over the line virtually unopposed, with only halfback Teddy Wilson there to offer resistance.

Stand-in Waratahs captain Hugh Sinclair arrived at work with his forward pack on Monday expecting a tough week at the hands of McKellar and his staff following the humiliation in Brisbane.

But there was no ranting or raving from McKellar. During the video review, the coach gave measured feedback and was direct on what he expected before facing the Brumbies. It worked.

Sinclair and his teammates harnessed the external criticism to fuel a relentless, physical performance against a Brumbies pack that included John Eales medallist Rob Valetini.

“We had our integrity questioned throughout the week and that’s a tough thing to have as a rugby player and a rugby club,” Sinclair said. “A lot of people wrote a few things about us, and we responded pretty well.”

Attack clicking into gear with full-court press

The Waratahs have one of the world’s premier attacking coaches in Mike Catt and on Saturday evening his team showed they had thoroughly digested his playbook, particularly in the first half.

The Waratahs used width to stretch the Brumbies’ defence, with each player comfortable playing a role in attack.

The Waratahs’ third try, through breakaway Rob Leota, was the perfect example of forwards and backs dovetailing seamlessly.

During his time with the Irish national team, Catt frequently utilised the ball-playing ability of prop Tadgh Furlong. Here, it was NSW No.8 Langi Gleeson who was used to cause maximum confusion.

Instead of taking the ball up to the line as expected, Gleeson threw a perfectly timed, no-look pass back to Max Jorgensen coming off his wing to act as a pseudo-five-eighth, before slinging a long pass to Leota on the left wing.

Leota had created a physical mismatch with Brumbies winger Andy Muirhead, and powered over to score. Each man on the field is capable of playing the ball, and the move was executed perfectly.

Staying on the right side of the laws

After fulltime, Larkham kept a lid on his frustration over the officiating calls that had gone against his side. It was a diplomatic performance that would have made Henry Kissinger proud.

A major talking point was a disallowed try for Tom Wright on 48 minutes, due to an earlier knock-on in the build-up by five-eighth Noah Lolesio.

The knock-on was originally missed by referee Ben O’Keefe, who allowed play to continue for eight more phases in a 20-phase build-up.

Brumbies halfback Ryan Lonergan asked O’Keefe for clarification and was told the officials were entitled to review more than two phases before the last play this season.

The Brumbies were frustrated on the field by some of the officials’ calls against the WaratahsCredit: Getty Images

Lonegan then asked why officials hadn’t reviewed the build-up to Wilson’s first try for the Waratahs, when Jorgensen’s foot had seemingly gone into touch while fielding the ball.

McKellar acknowledged his side had ridden its luck, but said the officials had been entitled to review the action.

“If there’s rules in place, or parameters that they have in place, then everyone’s aware of it,” McKellar said. “For that passage of play [Wright’s disallowed try] they can go back and check at any one time. Obviously, we got a little bit of luck there tonight and sometimes it goes with you, sometimes it goes against you.

“But if they say at the start of the year that the TMO has the ability to go back for the full passage of play, if it’s two phases, or if it’s 22 phases, then that’s what we have to live with.”

A strong supporting cast emerges

The Waratahs are blessed with a star-filled squad, but ultimately this victory belonged to the supporting cast.

Hooker Julian Heaven was called onto the bench late after Dave Porecki’s late withdrawal through injury and led the team with 20 tackles against a ferocious Brumbies pack in his 68 minutes of work.

In the desperate last seconds of the game, the Waratahs hung on to the Brumbies’ shirts, and the lead, before replacement prop Isaac Kailea put his body on the line to win the ball – securing the crucial turnover that ended seven years of pain at the hands of the Brumbies.

On Friday, McKellar is set to welcome Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii back for the trip to Wellington to face the Hurricanes. But the coach has also now successfully blooded young centre Henry O’Donnell.

Winger Triston Reilly is another indicator of the depth upon which the Waratahs can call. Reilly scored a well-taken try and made a huge tackle on Corey Toole in the dying minutes to help seal the game.

McKellar needed time with this group and in his fifth game of the season, they are starting to find their feet and build momentum.

“I often talk to them about memories and the importance of them, and we’ve created a really special one tonight,” McKellar said.

“We’ll talk about 20,500 people at Allianz Stadium against the Brumbies in a couple of years’ time, it’s one of those games that will stick with you for life.”

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