Waratahs set up first final at home

THE NSW Waratahs’ historymaking season is one step from completion with the Super Rugby favourites hosting the final for the first time after eliminating bitter rivals the ACT Brumbies last night.

Although the Waratahs, who have been unbeaten at home at all season, were expected to advance to Saturday’s decider at ANZ Stadium, it took a superb defensive effort rather than trademark flair to advance.

Although both teams vowed prematch to play expansively, the magnitude of the occasion dictated a more pragmatic approach

Aware Brumbies kicker Christian Leali’ifano had only a 51 per cent success rate over the season, Ben Mowen opted for a series of closerange lineouts. He was ultimately vindicated when Wallaby-inwaiting Henry Speight crossed out wide after a concerted build-up.

Speight barely featured in the opening quarter but stepped up as the momentum swung to the underdogs, providing a useful hitup before Matt Toomua outflanked the defence to set up the former Waikato representative for just his third try of an injury disrupted season.

His try cancelled out a gift score to Auckland-born wing Alofa Alofa, who ran 60-metres unimpeded after a loose pass from incumbent Wallabies halfback Nic White in the third minute.

Bernard Foley missed the extras but had no issues with a 20th minute penalty, to give the Waratahs an eight-point buffer before the Brumbies lifted their intensity and accuracy despite some excellent work at the breakdown by Wallabies openside Michael Hooper.

The Waratahs set piece had its issues – particularly the lineout – and were also on the wrong end of the possession and territory stats but a Foley penalty on the siren after a Adam Ashley-Cooper hit gave the home side a narrow halftime lead.

Leali’ifano should have levelled the scores two minutes after the restart but hooked an easy angled attempt and that miss was compounded when another weak link in the Brumbies lineup gave the Waratahs another fortuitous try.

Former Wallabies’ fullback Jesse Mogg bid to run out of defence proved costly when Kurtley Beale stripped the ball and ran 20-metres to the corner in the 48th minute – a blunder that saw Mogg dragged for Pat McCabe.

The Brumbies suffered another setback when Speight retreated with a hamstring injury near the hour mark and then the policy of taking lineouts rather than relying on Leali’ifano’s boot was negated by two turnovers. Foley scored and converted in the dying minutes to underscore the degree of the rout.