Waratahs break duck and shackles

Finally we see what the NSW Waratahs are about under new coach Rob Penney.

Kurtley Beale’s running game contributed to a transformation in the Waratahs’ play Picture: Getty Images

Finally we see what the NSW Waratahs are about under new coach Rob Penney.

Their first win of the season after four games, a 29-17 bonus point victory over Johannesburg’s Lions, answered some key questions after the opening three defeats created major concern.

It’s too early to say the Tahs’ season is back on track – there continues to be errors in their game – but this was the first time we saw a clear picture of what Penney is bringing to the table.

NSW attacked. They used the ball to both sidelines, the passes stuck, players ran onto them with good timing, and there were opportunities created in midfield courtesy of strong clean-outs and offloads.

Before this match the Tahs had the least amount of offloads of any Super Rugby team in 2020.

But in Parramatta, they managed to get away 15 offloads and that stat alone explains much of their success, leading to NSW’s first victory at Bankwest Stadium.

The Tahs look transformed when passing in contact, the players backed each other up and the second-phase attack allowed experienced duo Kurtley Beale and Karmichael Hunt to put their skills to use.

Led by the tenacious Michael Hooper, NSW fronted up physically to the big Lions pack and for the first time this year looked certain when going forward.

The brilliant glimpses of creativity was best encapsulated by debutant James Ramm’s try in the 55th minute, a free-flowing counter-attack move of 80 metres that featured 10 passes from the hands of forwards and backs.

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Five-eighth Will Harrison repaid the faith shown in him, producing his finest display at the helm in his young career.

It would have been entirely in Penney’s range of options to drop the 20-year-old and bring Beale into the No 10 jersey after three losses, but he persisted.

Harrison moved the team around expertly and looked assured running the ball.

Meanwhile, Angus Bell was tremendous up front.

The 118kg, 19-year-old prop showed impressive pace to score his try, make a break to set up another, and then beat Lions winger Jamba Ulengo on the outside after being showed the sideline.

Confidence is difficult to manufacture after the worst start to a season in Waratahs history, so it was telling that these players left the woes of the three first rounds behind and made a blistering start to the game.

NSW led 19-3 after just 17 minutes, with Bell’s try followed by five-pointers to backrowers Lachie Swinton and Jack Dempsey.

Swinton’s sin-binning midway through the half halted the momentum and allowed the Lions back into the contest.

Lions blindside flanker Marnus Schoeman bagged the first of his two tries in the 24th minute, and after his second late in the game the contest was evenly poised at 24-17 as the visitors mounted raid after raid.

It wasn’t until back-up prop Tetera Faulkner crossed for NSW’s fifth try in the 77th minute that the result was sealed.

The Tahs could have crumpled under a mounting injury toll, with captain Rob Simmons (ankle), halfback Jake Gordon (hamstring) and winger Mark Nawaqanitawase (back) all sidelined before the second half.

They’ll be racing the clock to be fit to play against New Zealand’s Chiefs next Friday night in Wollongong, while goalkicking remains a major problem for NSW.

Harrison and Beale missed a total combined six goals that could have secured NSW victory much earlier.

They can’t afford to leave so many points out on the field against better opponents.

The Daily Telegraph