The Waratahs kept their hopes of reaching the Super Rugby play offs alive by beating the Chiefs 45-25 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The victory is crucial for the Waratahs as they are in a battle for the top spot in the Australian Super Rugby conference with the Brumbies who have a much easier run of remaining matches.
The Brumbies have a home match later in the round against the Sunwolves and are favourites to win the match with a bonus point but the Canberra side will need to win by more than 38 points to overtake the Waratahs due to the points differential.
| # | Teams | P | W | L | D | PF | PA | PD | BP T | BP -7 | BP | Ttl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brumbies |
11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 277 | 247 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 29 | |
 Force |
11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 196 | 338 | -142 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | |
 Rebels |
11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 250 | 294 | -44 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 23 | |
 Reds |
12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 233 | 334 | -101 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 | |
 Waratahs |
12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 311 | 243 | 68 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 34 |
The Waratahs victory is their third in succession against the Chiefs at all venues and their fourth in a row against the Chiefs in Sydney.
The loss is the Chiefs third this season but their biggest loss in Super Rugby since May 2015 when they lost 9-36 to the Highlanders.
The Waratahs 45 points against the Chiefs is the biggest score against the Hamilton side since the Hurricanes 45-8 victory over the Chiefs in May 2014.
The Waratahs outscored the Chiefs by six tries to four with Michael Hooper and Israel Folau both scoring two each.
The Waratahs unleashed their best rugby of the season with Bernard Foley kicking six conversions and a penalty.
The Waratahs kicked clear of the Chiefs after leading 17-13 at half-time with three unanswered converted tries in 13 minutes early in the second half.
The home side kept a space on the Chiefs and clinched victory with a sixth try to replacement forward Jack Dempsey three minutes from full-time.
It was the Chiefs’ first loss on the road this season and they remain win-less in Sydney since 2007.
It was also a tonic for Wallabies coach Michael Cheika ahead of the international season next month with only the third win by an Australian team over a New Zealand outfit in 20 trans-Tasman encounters this season.
Wallabies Folau and Hooper had big games along with fly-half Foley and scrum-half Nick Phipps as the Waratahs more than matched the attacking flair of the Chiefs.
“We needed that performance, the Chiefs are a really good team and it’s really nice to come out and beat a really good Kiwi team,” skipper Hooper said.
“The boys really stood up tonight and I’m proud of them.”
Folau latched onto a wide pass from scrum-half Brad Weber to race 80 metres in the opening minutes to score and hold off Damian McKenzie’s despairing tackle.
The Waratahs raced to a 10-0 lead before centre Seta Tamanivalu scored after Phipps failed to force dead a kick over his try-line in the 13th minute.
A Damian McKenzie penalty put the Chiefs in front but Wallaby flanker Hooper scored just before halftime, backing up a Will Skelton break to score under the bar for Foley to convert for a 17-13 half-time lead.
The Chiefs hit the front again eight minutes after the interval with a try by hooker Nathan Harris before the Waratahs put on three converted tries to get the jump on the Kiwis.
Fullback Andrew Kellaway scored off a long Hooper pass, Hooper burst over for his second try and Phipps put Folau over for his second five-pointer.
The Chiefs pulled back a converted try through winger Toni Pulu off a Aaron Cruden kick before Dempsey sealed it with his try crashing through three tackles.
The Chiefs return to Super Rugby after the June Internationals on the 1st of July with a match in Fiji against the Crusaders.
The Waratahs return with a match against the Sunwolves in Tokyo.
Final Score Waratahs 45 (17) Chiefs 25 (13)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – I.Folau 2, M.Hooper 2, A.Kellaway, J.Dempsey
Pen – B.Foley
Con – B.Foley 5
Drop –
Cards – W. Palu (25th min yellow)
Chiefs
Tries – S.Tamanivalu, A.Cruden, N.Harris. T.Pulu
Pen – D.McKenzie
Con – D.McKenzie
Drop –
Cards –
Attendance : 18175
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1:Jaco van Heerden
Assistant Ref 2:Ed Martin
TMO : Peter Marshall
Teams
Waratahs
1. Paddy Ryan , 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau , 3. Tom Robertson, 4. Dave Dennis (VC), ,5. Will Skelton, 6. Dean Mumm, 7. Michael Hooper (C), 8. Wycliff Palu , 9. Nick Phipps, 10. Bernard Foley , 11. Zac Guildford , 12. Rob Horne , 13. Israel Folau, 14. Matt Carraro , 15. Andrew Kellaway
Replacements: 16. Hugh Roach , 17. Jeremy Tilse, 18. Angus Ta’avao , 19. Sam Lousi , 20. Jack Dempsey , 21. Matt Lucas , 22. David Horwitz , 23. Reece Robinson ,
Chiefs
1. Mitchell Graham 2. Nathan Harris, 3. Hiroshi Yamashita , 4. Dominic Bird , 5. Brodie Retallick , 6. Taleni Seu , 7. Sam Cane (cc), 8. Tom Sanders , 9. Brad Weber , 10. Aaron Cruden(cc), 11. James Lowe, 12. Anton Lienert-Brown , 13. Seta Tamanivalu , 14. Toni Pulu , 15. Damian McKenzie
Replacements : 16. Hika Elliot , 17. Kane Hames , 18. Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 19. Michael Allardice, 20. Lachlan Boshier, 21. Kayne Hammington, 22. Andrew Horrell, 23. Sam Vaka
