Super Rugby round 7: Waratahs beat Brumbies to win Dan Vickerman Cup

The Waratahs lost their key attacking weapon but ran out deserved winners in the Dan Vickerman Cup.

Bryce Hegarty of the Waratahs passes the ball.

The Waratahs lost their key attacking weapon in just the fourth minute of play when Israel Folau was forced off with a hamstring injury but rallied brilliantly against the Brumbies to run out deserved winners in the Dan Vickerman Cup, 24-17, at Canberra’s GIO Stadium tonight.

So much of the Tahs’ game is based around Folau’s aerial skills and there was momentary hesitation when he signalled to the medical staff that he could not continue, but the introduction of former Western Force winger Alex Newsome and the awesome power of his co-winger Taqele Naiyarovoro allowed the NSW side to continue with barely a misstep.

It was only the Waratahs’ fourth win in the nation’s capital and the harsh reality is that they should have won by more. Bernard Foley, who has been near flawless off the kicking tee this season, missed four relatively easy shots at goal but still managed five from nine to become the youngest Australian and the second NSW player behind Matt Burke to reach 800 points in Super Rugby.

The match marked David Pocock’s return for the Brumbies, in his 100th Super Rugby game, and it scarcely seemed like nearly two years had passed since he last played in Australia. He looked, as he always does, incredibly fit although he may have traded some muscle bulk for a bit more mobility. If so, it looks to be working well for his rugby as he was able to link well with backline on those increasingly rare occasions when the Brumbies won good quality ball.

For all its hype — indeed, perhaps because of all the hype — the match reached no heights as a spectacle. Brumbies’ Test Rory Arnold twice gave away penalties within range of the posts and was lucky Foley forgot to pack his kicking boots as only one kick went over. He kicked another midway through the half to level the scores at 6-6 after Wharenui Hawera has goaled twice for the Brumbies.

Jed Holloway of the Waratahs and David Pocock of the Brumbies contest the ball.

The Tahs were constantly mounting pressure but just as quickly releasing it as they turned over ball after ball through handling errors but the Brumbies were pinned in their own territory and looked unable to escape.

Finally, however, they were able to kick a penalty into the corner and with the Tahs setting themselves up to combat the driving maul, Pocock instead poured off the back of the maul to set centre Christian Lealiifano surging towards the posts. The NSW defence halted him but a quickly recycle allowed Hawera to drop the ball nearly onto his foot and left winger Lausii Taliauli easily won the race to ground it in-goal.

Loose carries, which had hurt the Waratahs so frequently, were to cost the Brumbies right on halftime as prop Scott Sio was unable to handle a pass in traffic and instantly Tahs playmaker Kurtley Beale flung a pass 30m across field to prop Sekope Kepu. Fortunately, he had Foley and outside centre Curtis Rona in support, the two of them creating room on the left for Naiyarovoro who brushed aside rival winger Henry Speight to race 50m to score after the halftime hooter

With Foley landing his conversion from touch — another kick that hit the uprights but bounced in — the Waratahs led for the first time at the break this season and the first time in Canberra since 2005. Not only that, Naiyarovoro had turned the momentum of the whole match. Or if not with that try, then the one he scored three minutes into the second stanza when a clever interplay by Foley and Beale create space for Newsome who looked likely to be bundled into touch right on the corner flag until he slipped a wonderful ball back into the giant winger for the fifth double of his Super Rugby career.

The Brumbies twice close to within four points through excellent goals from Hawera but Foley was always on hand to restore the seven point advantage. And although the ACT side had three lineouts deep inside the NSW 22 in the final minutes of play, their driving maul play — once their great attacking weapon — let them down badly.

Damien Fitzpatrick of the Waratahs offloads in the tackle of Matt Lucas of the Brumbies (right).

Indeed, their set piece play appears to have deteriorated markedly, although it may just be that the Waratahs have improved dramatically in this part of the game. Certainly, the NSW scrum grew in strength and dominance as the match progressed, so much so that the Brumbies passed up on a centre field scrum directly in front of the NSW posts at the death to kick for the corner.

With three wins and a draw from their five matches, the Waratahs have moved one point ahead of the Queensland Reds on 14 points, still six behind the Melbourne Rebels who have played an extra match.

Worryingly, the Brumbies have slumped to 11th place on the table and suddenly their match against the Reds next Saturday in Canberra looms almost as a season-definer. The Reds won the first encounter 18-10 at Ballymore, despite not scoring a try, but for once they will come to Canberra with a set piece that shapes as the best in the country.