Rugby: NSW Waratahs throw spanner in the works

By Wynne Gray

In a Super 12 boilover, the Highlanders are outplayed on their home patch
The Super 12 hex which the New South Wales Waratahs have had over the Otago Highlanders continued last night with a shock 23-15 victory at Carisbrook.

Victory halted a three-game losing streak for the visitors, has given them late hope of making the playoffs and continued their extraordinary record of four wins from four games against the Highlanders since the series started in 1996.

After stunning the series leaders in their own backyard, the Waratahs are now back in a huge scrap for the semifinals and have put an even bigger edge on tonight's Eden Park clash between the Auckland Blues and Sharks.

The Waratahs earned their win through a massive forward onslaught, in which John Welborn, Tom Bowman and Tiaan Strauss stood out, backed by a vigorous backline defence led by the tigerish Nathan Grey.

The first half looked ominous for the Highlanders when their only profit was a solitary Tony Brown penalty. They were restricted to an occasional sortie into the Waratahs' half because of a lack of possession and a very strong defence from the visitors.

For a side coming off three successive defeats, the Waratahs started boldly.

Their handling was sure, they controlled the ball and managed to put continuous phase play together as they switched play looking for gaps.

They had two Matt Dowling penalty successes and Strauss was then denied a try when South African referee Johan Meuwesen ruled the No 8 had been held up after the Waratahs shunted a rolling maul over the Highlanders' line.

It seemed all the endeavour was going to waste until a repeat lineout drive in the 32nd minute was rewarded.

Phil Kearns hit his jumper and a jubilant Welborn was muscled over the line by his pack. At 11-3 the Waratahs deserved their advantage but they almost paid for a lapse of concentration just before the break.

In their only piece of constructive play, the Highlanders put together several phases but the last pass from replacement Brendan Laney to captain Taine Randell was forward and the Waratahs escaped.

The Highlanders' pack started to graft more after the break and the handling became more secure. They were helped, too, when Grey was sinbiined for a high tackle, and a man down, his side conceded a try.

It came after a rumble from Isitolo Maka, and a flourishing drive from Joe McDonnell before Brown charged through a huge gap and found Romi Ropati on an angled run with no defence in sight. The conversion missed but at only 8-11 adrift and the last quarter to go, the series leaders should have rolled on.

Instead, the push came from the visitors. Fullback Duncan McRae sidestepped his way through and could almost sniff the line when his opposite Jeff Wilson hit him with an enveloping tackle. But minutes later McRae was up in the line again and on a sliding run down the blindside he dummied his way over. Manny Edmonds had the conversion from the sideline and the upset was inevitable.

It was cemented when Willie Ofahengaue battered over from another lineout drive.

As he did against the Queensland Reds last week, Maka had a final-minute surge for a try but this week it was only a consolation touchdown.

NSW Waratahs 23 (J. Welborn, D. McRae, W. Ofahenague, tries; M. Dowling, 2 pen, M. Edmonds con) Otago Highlanders 15 (R. Ropati, I. Maka, tries; T. Brown, con, pen) Halftime: 11-3.