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Waratahs go top as Cheetahs fold again

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 12:33

His first try in 100 games: Al Baxter - Pic: NSWRU Media Unit

The Waratahs moved to the top of the Super 14 standings, following a comprehensive 40-17 hammering of the hapless Cheetahs in Sydney on Saturday.

The five-tries-two victory ensures that for the first time his season, the defending champion Bulls are not at the top of the log - following the men from Pretoria's loss to the Blues earlier in the day.

The Waratahs and the Bulls are both on 28 points, but the Waratahs greater points difference puts them in first place.

The win for the Waratahs was secured through a thoroughly professional first half, in which they took a 23-3 lead and effectively ended the game as a contest against a Cheetahs team that looked short of ideas and desire.

The Waratahs looked a skilful, thoroughly organised team, with superb interplay between forwards and backs.

The Cheetahs will have to do some serious soul-searching as at present they don't look like a team that can threaten any side in the Super 14.

They are in trouble as a franchise because they were comprehensively outplayed and the final score flatters their performance. Their points came when the game was already comfortably in the bag for the Waratahs and the home team had sent on a host of subs and had lost focus and reduced their intensity.

To be competitive the Cheetahs need to have all their players available and with injuries having wrecked their first-choice XV, they do not have the depth to replace their frontline players. The return of skipper Juan Smith will make a difference but that having been said, the rest of the players need to step up.

There was little that was dynamic in the Cheetahs performance. It was lacklustre, even lethargic at times, and their missed one-on-one tackles were not worthy of a proud Super 14 team.

The game started in an eerie atmosphere with so many empty seats in the misty Sydney Football Stadium and the referee's microphone echoing his every word, as well as that of his assistant referees and of all the players in the sparsely populated arena. The rain which started falling in the second half added to the atmosphere but not to the rugby spectacle.

The highlight of the opening spell was an elusive attacking run by Waratahs outside centre Rob Horne, who beat defenders through skill before being stopped deep inside the 22.

The Waratahs opened the scoring in the ninth minute when the Cheetahs failed to roll away at a tackle and Daniel Halangahu slotted the close-range penalty goal (3-0).

The Cheetahs defended for nine phases close to their goal-line before being penalised at breakdown in front of their posts and in the 17th minute, Halangahu stretched the lead to 6-0 with the straight-forward penalty goal.

A great team try followed in the 27th minute as Berrick Barnes broke from inside his half and eluded defenders before continuity came from excellent support by Kurtley Beale, Dean Mumm, Al Baxter and new cap Chris Alcock. When they were stopped just short of the Cheetahs goal-line, the Tahs moved the ball wide right, the Cheetahs ran out of tacklers and Horne scored a neatly executed try. Halangahu converted and the home team led 13-0.

Halangahu took the lead to 16-0 in the 37th minute when Cheetahs tighthead prop WP Nel was penalised for illegal scrummaging and the flyhalf goaled an angled penalty.

A minute later Naas Olivier scored the Cheetahs first points when Benn Robinson was guilty of obstruction and the visitors' flyhalf made no mistake with a penalty goal from a few metres in from touch (16-3).

But the home team had the last say in the half when they launched a series of pick-and-go attacks on the Cheetahs goal-line and eventually Robinson bashed his way across the line and was able to ground the ball. Halangahu took his goal-kicking to five out of five in the game and the Waratahs led 23-3 at half-time.

In the first minute of the second half Cheetahs captain Adriaan Strauss went offside just outside his 22 and from the Waratahs line-out close to the Cheetahs tryline, the home team bashed away at the goal-line and, much to the delight of his team-mates, Al Baxter scored his first try for the Waratahs in his 100th game (28-3).

Ironically, he had scored his only Test try for Australia in his 50th Test match.

Halangahu missed the conversion, but moments later the Cheetahs coughed the ball up under pressure, and Beale intercepted and ran a long way to score the Waratahs fourth try and secure their bonus point. Halanagahu, whose kicking had been faultless in the first half, missed his second consecutive conversion but the home team led 33-3 with 34 minutes still to play.

It was an all-Waratahs show as Barnes kicked a perfectly weighted grubber which Mitchell collected and ran 50 metres. He was tackled inside the Cheetahs 22 and could not finish but little was going right for the visitors and when they at last managed to get close to the Waratahs goal-line, they were penalised for not releasing in a tackle.

A free kick outside the Waratahs 22 and then two five-metre penalties saw the Cheetahs come close to scoring but the home side's defence held and the visitors came away unrewarded.

But reward did come eventually in the 71st minute when from another penalty which led to a line-out close to the Waratahs goal-line, referee Keith Brown awarded a try to tighthead prop WP Nel - after prolonged consultation with the TMO and assistant referee James Leckie. Meyer Bosman converted and the lead had been reduced to 33-10.

Defences on both sides had eased up considerably by this stage and with three minutes to go the Waratahs scored their fifth try when Will Caldwell set up Josh Holmes for a try under the posts which Barnes converted (40-10).

The Cheetahs had last say when Corné Uys scored a try under the posts from an inside pass by Bosman and Bosman converted to make the final score 40-17.

But in the end it was precious little consolation for the visitors on a happy day for the Waratahs and a miserable outing for the Cheetahs.

Man of the Match: Al Baxter and Dean Mumm were very effective up front, as was new cap Chris Alcock. Scrumhalf Luke Burgess had his best game for some time while Rob Horne looked a real prospect in midfield. Drew Mitchell ran elusively and Berrick Barnes showed some of his skilful artistry which he has battled to display at times this season. But our Man of the Match is loosehead prop Benn Robinson, who was powerful in the tight and very impressive for his workrate away from set pieces.

The scorers:

For the Waratahs:
Tries: Horne, Robinson, Baxter, Beale, Holmes
Cons: Halangahu 2, Barnes
Pens: Halangahu 3

For the Cheetahs:
Tries: Nel, Uys
Cons: Bosman 2
Pens: Olivier

Teams:

Waratahs: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Ben Mowen, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dean Mumm (captain), 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson. 
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Locky McCaffrey, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Tom Carter, 22 Sosene Anesi.

Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Danwel Demas, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Meyer Bosman (vice-captain), 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Naas Olivier, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Barend Pieterse, 6 Hendro Scholtz, 5 Walti Vermeulen, 4 Nico Breedt, 3 WP Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Wian du Preez .
Replacements: 16 Ryno Barnes, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Davon Raubenheimer, 19 Kabamba Floors, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Corné Uys, 22 Riaan Viljoen.

Referee: Keith Brown
Assistant referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)

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