NSW Waratahs preparing for possible loss of Tatafu Polota-Nau

The Waratahs are hopeful of retaining Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, but have prepared for his possible departure.

Tatafu Polota-Nau may be off to an overseas club after this Super Rugby season, but would still be eligible for the Wallabies.

The Waratahs are hopeful of retaining Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau but have prepared for his possible departure overseas.

Polota-Nau, 30, is out of contract at the end of the season and his future remains unresolved.

With 61 Tests under his belt, he would remain eligible to play for the Wallabies under the so-called Giteau Law if he were to join a rich English or French club.

But Polota-Nau could also negotiate a flexible contract with the ARU and the Waratahs, which would enable him to play in Japan.

“As a tight-five coach, a set-piece coach, you always want quality individuals,” said Waratahs forwards coach Cam Blades. “I’d love to see Taf around forever but that’s in his court.

“I think he is the best scrummaging hooker in the country. He possesses plenty of other great things to bring to a team that we would want here.

“In saying that, Hugh Roach has developed fantastically well this year with the opportunities he’s been given through Taf’s injuries and Tolu’s (Latu) injuries.

“So much so that Tolu has had to bide his time in club rugby since he has come back to fitness.

“If Taf doesn’t end up being with us, I’m really content with where we’re at going into next year, especially with the development of some of the younger guys.

“I’m really excited about the future in that area. It would be great to have a world-class player like Taf around but, if he’s not, we’ve prepared pretty well and have covered ourselves.”

If Polota-Nau does leave, the Waratahs’ match with the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday night could be his last game unless they win with a bonus point.

NSW have to collect the maximum five competition points and rely on the Brumbies not to do the same against the Western Force in Canberra on Saturday night to finish on top of the Australian conference.

Blades said the Waratahs had a clear strategy of how to achieve the bonus-point win, which involves scoring three or more tries than the Blues, without resorting to playing “touch” football.

“You have to show oppositions enough respect that things aren’t going to come easily,” Blades said. “If you go out with a really loose attitude, you end up bringing yourself undone.

“We have a clear strategy of how we want to build into the game and how we want to play. This year when we have executed our game management and strategy things have gone pretty well for us.

“We’ve had a couple of games where we have become a bit too obsessed with the opposition and played into their hands.

“While we are clear on what we think they will bring to the table, our focus is more on how we want to play and making sure we get those little micro details right and things like that.”

With wet and windy conditions forecast for Auckland, Blades said the set-piece could be a decisive factor in the game. “Set piece lays the platform to attack and also disrupt their attack and their source of possession,” he said.

“That’s the focus for the tight five and forwards in general to get out there on Friday and do a job for our team both when we’ve got the ball and when they are trying to launch as well.

Blades said the Waratahs rued the fact they were unable to gain any benefit from their scrum dominance in their 28-17 loss to the Hurricanes in Sydney last Saturday night.

“I think partly the way it was refereed and partly the fact we didn’t drag the referee into it enough to show that real, clear dominance,” Blades said.