Some years ago, when current Scotland coach Matt Williams was coaching New South Wales in the Super 12, the Waratahs finished their season with an entertaining victory at the Sydney Football Stadium. The home side had scored some characteristically flashy tries and, as they so often have done in the Super 12, produced a performance which suggested this was a team with the talent to win the tournament.
The ever-faithful Sydney patrons applauded as the players and their coach took off on an enthusiastic lap of honour at full-time, waving to the fans and accepting the accolades and compliments being directed their way. They looked elated. In truth, they should have been depressed.
Maybe their apparent joy was that another season of grind was over, but the reality was that another season of promise had gone unfulfilled. The Super 12 semifinals were about to start and yet again, there would be no Waratahs involvement.
Nothing has changed. After nine seasons of trying and with a personnel list that has included some wonderful Wallaby players, their Super 12 play-off record is almost non-existent.
Their solitary semifinal appearance came in 2002 when they finished second on the competition table and, while it broke their run of outs, it was hardly a memorable occasion. They were beaten 51-10 by the Brumbies.
Their poor record is part mystery, part self-inflicted. The mystery comes from the Jekyll and Hyde element to their game. They began last season's competition with a 43-19 win over the Crusaders in Christchurch followed by comprehensive home-town victories over the Sharks (48-14) and the Cats (46-10). As in previous years, the win graph went rapidly southward after that.
The self-inflicted bit is all about impatience. The history of Waratahs team officials indicates an unhealthy desire for quick-fixes and perfection, and perhaps just poor recognition of talent. The list of players they've let slip through the door and who have succeeded elsewhere is lengthy.
At the crucial position of first five-eighth, they have seemed incapable of settling on one person and letting him grow in the position. Over the years, several promising individuals have been jettisoned when they've followed up two good performances with a poor one.
The upside for the Waratahs is that, in Ewen McKenzie, they have someone at the helm who not only has a sound knowledge of the game, but also a realisation that persistence pays off. If there is one thing the 1991 World Cup-winning prop is not, it's a panic merchant. He will have learned from his first season in 2004 and his first priority this coming few months will be stability.
He has the bonus of a world-beater in his line-up in Lote Tuqiri, game-breaking talent in Mat Rogers, nous and experience in the tight five in Justin Harrison and Brendan Cannon and huge potential in newcomers such as backrower Wycliff Palu, back in rugby after a stint at league.
Nevertheless, someone must take the No 10 jersey and glue his name on the back. Shaun Berne is a contender and he knows too well the musical-chairs policy of previous years.
Some hope is being pinned on Lachlan Mackay. He played in last week's trial win over the Blues in Whangarei, scoring a try and possibly benefiting from being on a winning side rather than a losing one.
Mackay used to swim against (and occasionally beat) Olympic and world champion Ian Thorpe. That fact is unlikely to impress Richie McCaw, Schalk Burger or indeed the Waratahs coach if he can't do the business on dry land, but physical build and natural aggression don't appear to be a problem.
Whether he has the subtleties and the decision-making prowess under pressure will determine if he is handed consistent use of a chalice which has been known in the past to contain significant measures of poison.
The exciting option is handing Rogers the No 10 shirt.
He's skilful, an exciting runner, has a good kicking game and can put people through gaps, and, while he sometimes appears to lose concentration during a match, being tossed into the centre of the action might just eliminate that flaw from his game.
If whoever is chosen to wear the Waratahs number 10 jersey in the opening rounds of the Super 12 is still there at the end of May, chances are it will have been a fruitful season for the perennial under-achievers.
One certainty is that the only way you'll ever see McKenzie running around doing a lap of honour with his players is if they win the Grand Final, and even then, I believe he'd opt for the sanctuary of the dressing rooms. He knows that New South Wales rugby needs consistent performers, not showboaters.
VITAL STATS
Titles: 0
Finals: 0
Best finish: 2nd round robin, beaten in semifinals 2002
Worst finish: 9th in 1997, 2000
Biggest win: 44-10 v Brumbies, 2002
Biggest loss: 96-19 v Crusaders, 2002
Backs
Mat Rogers
Cameron Shepherd
Peter Hewat
Elia Tuqiri
Lote Tuqiri
Winston Mafi
Shaun Berne
Morgan Turinui
Chris Siale
Ben Jacobs
Nathan Grey
Tim Donnelly
Lachlan MacKay
Chris O'Young
Chris Whitaker (c)
Forwards
Stephen Hoiles
David Lyons
Wycliff Palu
Rocky Elsom
Phil Waugh
Lei Tomiki
Dwayne Haare
Will Caldwell
Justin Harrison
Daniel Vickerman
Gareth Hardy
Matt Dunning
Alastair Baxter
Aaron Broughton-Rouse
Adam Freier
Brendan Cannon
No 10 the downer street
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