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Brutal Super Round contest sees Drua go toe-to-toe with Waratahs
By AAP
The NSW Waratahs have emerged battered and bruised but with a vital win against Fijian Drua in a brutal Super Round rugby clash in Melbourne on Saturday.
Darren Coleman's Waratahs scored six tries, including five in the second half, to post a 46-17 victory at AAMI Park on Saturday night to bank their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Sydneysiders broke a 17-17 deadlock in the 56th minute with No.8 Langi Gleeson, who was one of their best, planting the ball across the line.
From there they were never headed, with five-eighth Tane Edmed touching down before Max Jorgensen and Mark Nawaqanitawase followed, the latter two eased by the Drua being down to 13 men after two yellow cards.
The Waratahs started strongly but had little to show for their early dominance, restricted to a try in the 10th minute from Dave Porecki, the hooker diving across the line from the back of the ruck.
Buoyed by a vocal crowd who at one stage cheered every tackle a Waratahs player, the Fijians started to work their way into the game.
They were piggy-backed by some poor discipline by New South Wales, who accrued nine penalties in the first half.
Fijian Drua hit the lead in the 31st minute through flanker Joe Tamani, with a late penalty by Edmed levelling the score at 10-10.
The Waratahs looked happy to reach the break level, with lock Jed Holloway telling TV commentary his team had been "bashed" in the final 10 minutes before the whistle.
Drua hooker Tevita Ikanivere crashed through Jake Gordon to again give his side the lead three minutes into the second half but the Waratahs hit back five minutes later through fullback Ben Donaldson.
Gleeson's effort opened the floodgates for the Waratahs to pick up an important bonus point in the win.
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Latest Comments
It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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