Super Rugby: Waratahs dash hopes of Force’s Cinderella return

It looked as though the WA side were set for a stellar return to Super Rugby, but NSW got the job done at the SCG.

Waratahs players celebrate during their Super Rugby win over the Western Force. Picture: Getty Images

For 39 minutes, a Cinderella return to Super Rugby was building for the Western Force but then the spell was broken as the NSW Waratahs finally worked out how to get the job done to break their three-match losing streak with a 23-14 win at the SCG on Saturday night.

All the power and the passion that had been on display when last these two sides met, the Force’s final Super Rugby appearance in Perth in July 2017 before they were kicked out of the competition, looked to have been shipped to Sydney for this “welcome back” performance that was three years in the making.

Almost all the way through the first half, the Force were playing with purpose and pride and while the moist conditions made attractive rugby unlikely, the way the Perth side went about their work was utterly compelling. Expertly directed by their experienced halves pairing of Ian Prior and Jonno Lance, they pinned NSW in their own territory and ruthlessly went about building their score.

There was only one Force try in this period, coming in the 29th minute, when Lance swung the ball out to inside centre Nick Joost who in turn found flanker Henry Stowers powering towards the line. The NSW cover defence — which to that point had looked to have the situation covered — suddenly took fright as Stowers drove onwards, finally slipping the pass to former Brisbane Brothers winger Byron Ralston who had the honour of scoring the Force’s first Super Rugby AU try.

Byron Ralston scored the Force’s first try in their return to the competition. Picture: Getty Images

Prior missed the conversion, but three times in the first half he had the sense to take the penalty goal points on offer – something the Melbourne Rebels conspicuously failed to do in their drawn match against the Queensland Reds on Friday night – and as the clock ticked down to the halftime break, the Perth side looked comfortably in charge at 14-0.

But then referee Angus Gardner spotted the Force going off their feet at the breakdown and signalled a penalty to NSW. In retrospect, it was to be the turning point as the Tahs kicked to the corner, threw long to the back to Will Harris and four phases later loose-head Angus Bell found a rare hole in the defence to plant the ball for NSW’s first try. It was the last play of the first half and there was a noticeable spring in the step as the Tahs headed to the sheds at 7-14.

It’s always a fascinating debate, deciding whether a massive swing in the penalty count is a reflection of one side’s resurgence or is the trigger for it. In the end, it mattered little. NSW dominated penalties 8-4 in the second half and they rode the momentum shift all the way. Two Will Harrison penalty goals hit the switch for the Tahs’ recovery, although they still trailed 14-13 when they were given their biggest break of the game, right on the hour mark.

Replacement centre Karmichael Hunt hoofed the ball into touch just inside the 22m line – but did the movement start inside NSW’s half or just outside? Television replays showed the tackle being made inside Force territory, which would have negated the 50-22 experimental law being trialled in this competition. Gardner, however, ruled that events had just fitted inside the law’s requirements, which meant NSW was given the critical throw to the subsequent lineout. Sure enough, a few phases later and replacement lock Tom Staniforth had scored to put NSW into the lead, 20-14. They never surrendered it. Indeed, they pushed it out to 23-14 in the 72nd minute as they began to take almost total control.

Ian Prior is in contention for higher honours. Picture: Getty Images

Prior, though he did not mention the incident, believed it was the new laws which his side found hardest to adapt to, although the Force has been playing fast and loose with the law book in its own Global Rapid Rugby competition.

“The Waratahs are a class team and we let them in the game there and they took full advantage of it,” Prior said at full-time. “We were good in patches there. I think we were up to the pace of the game. I think we didn’t adjust to a couple of the new laws there, that off-side rule. Probably adjusting to that was our biggest issue. But I felt we were up there physicality-wise and conditioning-wise. We pride ourselves on using the ball well and we did that in patches and hopefully we can build through on that next week.”

Rob Simmons, the NSW skipper, was just relieved that his young side, which features seven members of the Australian under-20s team of last year, finally had been rewarded for all the hard work they had done. “I think in the first half they were playing field position real well,” Simmons said. “It wasn’t about tactical kicking it was about getting in the right position on the field and we addressed that at halftime. This young side, they are so enthusiastic. They really just want to play footy so it is about controlling those tight moments.”

Michael Hooper was strong for the Waratahs. Picture: Getty Images

As ever, Michael Hooper was exceptional at open side flanker. So consistently does he perform that it is easy to become blasé about his form, but he simply refuses to let the Waratahs down. His influence is catching, with players like fullback Jack Maddocks, prop Angus Bell and backrower Lachie Swinton all stepping up tonight.

The Force were not lacking in wholehearted performers either. Backrowers Stowers and Brynard Stander put in busy shifts, as did former All Black lock Jeremy Thrush, and Prior did enough on an uncomfortable night to fully justify coach Tim Sampson’s prediction that he could well come into Wallabies reckoning this week.

It was an encouraging start by the Force, far better than many critics had predicted from them. But the Tahs appear to be the weakest of the four Australian Super Rugby sides and it won’t be getting any easier for Prior’s men from here.