Mat Rogers delivered a one-man demolition job to squash the Chiefs in Sydney last night.
The Wallaby fullback turned on a dazzling, trick-laden display - minus only juggling balls and a unicycle - in scoring one try and having a major say in three others as the Waratahs maintained their
reputation for starting the competition with wings on their feet.
Take Rogers out of the equation and there was far less between the sides than the scores suggest. Had he brought his kicking boots - he missed six out of seven shots - it would have been a massacre.
The Chiefs could be forgiven for wondering how they were staring at a 17-point deficit at halftime. The answer in a nutshell was their failure to protect the ball. They had much the better of the opening quarter, looked lively and keen to get the ball wide, but too often squandered chances at the ruck and tackle and their handling let them down.
The lineouts generally worked well, Byron Kelleher was lively at halfback and several others including Mark Ranby, Steven Bates and Sosene Anesi had their moments.
The Waratahs backs looked pedestrian - Rogers and Lote Tuqiri - apart and the forwards were workmanlike but not inspired. Whoever stands on the right wing for the Waratahs this season should take a chair with him because everything will go left to Tuqiri's flank, and with good reason.
Rogers' first half act went like this: a clever chip over the Chiefs defence for Morgan Turinui to score under the posts; a brilliant solo try with a deft pickup out wide on the right, followed by two clever nudges ahead, and a dart between two defenders; and on halftime he ran left, flipped the ball up to Tuqiri who swerved in then out to score near the left corner.
As a coup de grace 15 minutes from the end, Rogers reacted instinctively to regather his kick ahead which bounced off a Chief, made ground and Turinui scored when the ball went wide on the right, with the defence outflanked.
The Chiefs could have opened the scoring, but Ranby's pass, with a two-man overlap 20m out, was intercepted. Anesi's try on debut, toeing ahead and winning the race near the end was small consolation.
Waratahs: M. Turinui 2, M. Rogers, L. Tuqiri tries; Rogers con; P. Hewat pen
Chiefs: S. Anesi try; D. Hill con. Halftime: 17-0.
Mat Rogers delivered a one-man demolition job to squash the Chiefs in Sydney last night.
The Wallaby fullback turned on a dazzling, trick-laden display - minus only juggling balls and a unicycle - in scoring one try and having a major say in three others as the Waratahs maintained their
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