Hurricanes tamed by Waratahs
The Waratahs got their Super 14 campaign off on a winning start, beating a tame Hurricanes team 20-3 on Saturday.
Last Updated: 16/02/08 10:45am
The Waratahs got their Super 14 campaign off on a winning start, beating a tame Hurricanes team 20-3 at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.
However, they may be disappointed after missing out on a four-try bonus point when it seemed they were in control at the end.
The Waratahs based their game on a very sound defensive system, something that will win them many more games this season if they keep up these standards.
While they have a lot of work to do on the creative aspects of their game it was their defence that kept the dangerous, hard-running 'Canes at bay.
The Hurricanes simply did not use the opportunities they created, despite a strong start - and as the game went on the 'Tahs took control and restricted them to only the occasional foray.
The game, like so many others on the first weekend of Super 14 actions, saw far too much needless kicking on both sides, lots of sloppy passing and far too much helter-skelter stuff without structure.
The game got off to a real sloppy start, with both teams throwing some wild passes in the first few minutes and the ball not really going to hand.
Then the Hurricanes switched on the lights and started piling on some pressure - controlling the game for about 15 minutes.
When the Waratahs eventually got into their stride they showed just how dangerous they could be with the ball in hand.
Deadlock
The deadlock was broken in the 19th minute, when the 'Tahs three Ts - full-back Lachie Turner, as well as wings Timana Tahu and Lote Tuqiri - combined to set up the first try.
Tuqiri came off his wing at a scrum to bash into the midfield and offload in the tackle to Tahu, who simply tapped it on to Turner to apply the finish. Kurtley Beale added the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
The Hurricanes continued with their hard-running game and got some reward in the 23rd minute when Jimmy Gopperth slotted a penalty to narrow the gap to 7-3.
Gopperth and Beale each missed a penalty shot at goal as the teams settled into a game of tit-for-tat, both sides having opportunities without really making them count.
That was until the 36th minute, when Beale slotted a penalty from 40 metres out to restore his team's seven-point lead.
That left his team with a 10-3 lead at the break.
The Waratahs struck the first blow in the second half, just two minutes after the break, when Rocky Elsom scored after some strong pick-'n'-go driving by the men in blue. Beale couldn't add the conversion, but at 15-3 the home team looked in command.
While the Hurricanes had their moments, and tried manfully to create something, they were their own worst enemies as they simply coughed up too much possession to get into any real rhythm.
The game was wrapped up by the Waratahs in the 74th minute, when Turner went over for his second try, after a long, steady build-up as the home team took the ball patiently through the phases. Beale was again wide with the conversion, but at 20-3 the game was over as a contest.
It was a mad scramble in the last few minutes, as the Waratahs chased the try-scoring bonus point, but a couple of stray and forward passes robbed them of that extra point.
