Waratahs Win Ugly

The NSW Waratahs have extended their winning streak to five games after claiming a 26-3 victory over the Cheetahs in a bruising encounter tonight at Aussie Stadium in Sydney.

The Waratahs never trailed at any stage during the match, but were unable to shake the Cheetahs until the final 10 minutes when tries to Wendell Sailor and Peter Hewat ensured that NSW would hold on to their spot at the top of the Super 14 ladder for the time being.

With regular fly half Mat Rogers out injured the Waratahs looked disjointed for long periods of the match and the South African based Cheetahs outfit took full advantage of this with a strong defensive effort that saw them give the table topping NSW side a big scare ahead of their much awaited clash against the Canterbury Crusaders next weekend.

Having scored a combined 93 points over their last two games the Waratahs big fan base expected fireworks right from the get go, but they were left in a stunned silence in the fifth minute when it appeared that Cheetahs winger Giscard Pieters had snuck over for a try.

Referee Chris Pollock sent the decision up to the television match official and after being told that there was no clear view he decided that the ball had been held up much to the home crowd’s delight.

The Cheetahs luck worsened in 17th minute when they were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes after winger Sinethemba Zweni was sin binned for his second act of violent play when he hit NSW centre Shaun Berne with a high tackle.

The game finally saw its first score in the 20th minute when NSW opened their account through a Peter Hewat penalty after the Cheetahs had infringed at the breakdown adjacent to the posts.

With a one man advantage the Waratahs started to click up the pace of the game and they nearly scored the first try of the match when a sensational piece of footwork from recently resigned fly half Daniel Halangahu saw him break through into open spaces, but it all came to nothing when Cheetahs half back Michael Claassens was able to hold Sailor up over the try line.

Two minutes later the Waratahs suffered the same fate as the Cheetahs had earlier in the game when flanker David Lyons appeared to get the ball down over the line only to be denied by the referee, but a penalty soon after ensured that NSW would get something from their attacking raid with Hewat slotting over his second penalty goal of the match (6-0).

As they had done in the first half the Cheetahs made a bright start in the second stanza and were rewarded with their first score of the game in the 42nd minute when fly half Willem de Waal knocked over a penalty goal to cut the margin back to three points (6-3).

NSW went close to crossing the try line again in the 49th minute when Halangahu nearly stepped his way through from close range, but once again they were forced to settle for a Hewat penalty goal that put them back out in front by six points (9-3).

The insertion of dynamic flanker Phil Waugh 52nd minute seemed to lift the Waratahs and his presence led to a good spell for the home side which saw them land another penalty goal through Hewat to extend their lead to nine points going into the final quarter of the match.

Referee Pollock denied NSW of a try again in the 67th minute when he called back centre Morgan Turinui after he spotted a forward pass in the lead up play, but a minute later Sailor finally broke the Waratahs duck when he barged through some tiring Cheetahs defence to touch down for his fourth try of the season.

Hewat put the icing on the cake for the home side five minutes from full time when he intercepted an errant pass to streak away and score under the posts. His conversion made the final score 26-3 and gave him a haul of 21 points for the match.

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