TAHS’ ROOKIES GET S TAMP OF APPRO VAL

A BAPTISM of fire will be followed by a fortnight of the same but Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick is backing a pair of rookie NSW props to meet the scrummaging “heat” awaiting them in South Africa and Argentina.

The Waratahs got their season off to a good start on Saturday, defeating the Stormers courtesy of an 81st minute try to Ned Hanigan.

They left Sydney yesterday for a westerly circle of the planet armed with confidence, although it has been dented by loss of key for- wards Sekope Kepu and Rob Simmons.

The Tahs play the Sharks in Durban and then the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.

Paddy Ryan and Tom Robinson are the NSW starting props but they have two of the country’s best youngsters on the bench in Shambeckler Vui and Harry Johnson- Holmes.

The Australian under 20s props from last year are seen as Test prospects and showcased their talent in secondhalf cameos against the Stormers.

Fitzpatrick said the 20year- olds showed they can already handle Super Rugby.

“They will go from leaps and bounds with the opportunity to play more minutes at this level,” Fitzpatrick said.

Despite Kepu only needing to serve one more week of a suspension, the Wallabies tight- head was left at home by Daryl Gibson to work on fitness.

It’s understood Kepu has a calf injury, and it must be serious given the temptation to rush the bookend back into a Waratahs scrum.