Rugby: Highlanders swamped by Waratahs

Kurtley Beale of the Waratahs is tackled. Photo / Getty Images

NSW Waratahs 33
Highlanders 7

The Highlanders dropped out of the race for a Super Rugby playoff spot tonight after being beaten 33-7 by the NSW Waratahs at Sydney Football Stadium.

Handling errors and missed try-scoring chances were the big contributors to the southerners downfall with the Australian side scoring five tries to three.

The Highlanders sluggish finish in the final ten minutes proved again to be their undoing as they slipped to their third defeat in three weeks after conceding late tries.

Super 15 standings

The Waratahs have copped plenty of criticism from home fans and sponsors about playing dull rugby throughout the 2011 season, yet the scintillating opening had all corners of the stadium on their feet as they made plenty of running metres from deep in their half.

Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale who will move to the Melbourne Rebels in 2012, gave home fans a penultimate account of his exceptional rugby ability that will be sorely missed in the new year.

Beale was at his terrorising best in the opening forty minutes as he broke the defensive line at will with his smooth running angles setting-up the opening two tries.

Beale received the ball in his own half and beat three defenders before putting in a neat grubber kick to the corner for Carter to scoop and dive over to score.

Another slicing break from inside his 22 brought the second try for flanker Dave Dennis to dive over for a five-pointer in the 15th minute.

With the Highlanders struggling to contain the Waratahs early on, opportunities were scare for the southerners and when they arose in the form of penalties the visitors were quick to decline the three points in search for five.

And their pursuit of the bigger reward came to fruition in the 29th minute with hooker Jason Rutledge driving over from a metre out to score. Veteran first-five Tony Brown kicked a straight-forward conversion attempt.

Rutldge's try seemed to inject a timely wakeup call to his side as winger Siale Piutau and fullback Ben Smith punched holes into the baby-blue defence, who looked to have tired after their blistering start.

Yet the home-side were able to stem the flow of the vistiors' attacking raids with a third try before the halftime hooter.

Carter crashed over for his second try as the centre hit the first-five Daniel Halangahu's pop ball on an inside cut before skipping past a tackler and holding off fullback Ben Smith to slam the ball over the tryline. Beale converted.

The second stanza was tightly contested with both sides failing to capitalise on any advantageous field position as the wet weather made it difficult to handle the ball.

As the match moved into the final ten minutes, the Waratahs broke the secondhalf deadlock with Carter rounding off his first hattrick in Super Rugby, as quick-ball allowed him to dive over unopposed to give his side a much-needed bonus point.

The homeside scored their fifth try in the 78th minute to replacement halfback Josh Holmes, who patiently waited on Beale's cross-kick to run-in from from 30 metres.

Beale kicked the conversion to cap a healthy return of four goals from five attempts.

The Waratahs move to 52 points on the Super 15 ladder, affirming their hold on second place in the Australian conference with tonight's victory.

NSW WARATAHS 33 (Tom Carter 3, David Dennis, Josh Holmes tries Kurtley Beale 4 cons) bt HIGHLANDERS 7 (Jason Rutledge try Tony Brown con) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: Chris Pollock. Crowd: 13,474.

- Herald online