2014 Super Rugby Champions the Waratahs kicked off their 2016 campaign by beating the Reds 30-10 at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The Waratahs victory is their fifth consecutive victory over the Reds as the Queenslanders have not beaten the New South Wales side since July 2013.
The Waratahs outscored the Reds by four tries to one which earned the Sydney side a bonus point under the new bonus point rules.
The Waratahs looked superior for large tracts of a poor spectacle scoring four tries to one, but failed to build on their 20-0 half-time lead and were held 10-10 by the limited Reds in a dour second half.
The Waratahs, under new coach Daryl Gibson following the departure of Wallabies mentor Michael Cheika, looked lively particularly when fly-half Kurtley Beale, fullback Israel Folau and new All Blacks winger Zac Guildford got involved.
But alarmingly the Waratahs failed to match the Reds in the set pieces, with the Reds scrum dominating, even with seven forwards after a yellow card in the final stages of a frustrating contest for the fans.
Beale was eye-catching in the first half with a great pass in the lead up to winger Matt Carraro’s 22nd minute try while pulling off a ball-and-all try-saving tackle on winger Chris Feauai-Sautia midway through the opening term.
Wallaby flanker Michael Hooper scored a try off the back of a driving maul and promising newcomer David Horwitz scored off a Hooper break sparked by an inside ball from scrum-half Nick Phipps.
Japanese World Cup star Ayumu Goromaru came on as a 28th-minute replacement for the Reds but saw little of the ball at outside centre, and kicked a long-range penalty and a conversion.
The Reds, on the back of their set piece, wore away in the second half and worked their way back to trail 20-10 after a try by fly-half Jake McIntyre, but Beale finished them off after 62 minutes.
Beale broke clear and kicked ahead for Phipps to win the chase and score under the crossbar to make the game safe for the Waratahs and continue their derby dominance over the Reds.
Final Score Waratahs 30 (20) Reds 10 (0)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Hooper, Carraro, Horwitz, Phipps
Pen – Beale, Hegarty
Con – Beale 2
Drop –
Cards – J. Tilse (77th min yellow)
Reds
Tries – J.McIntyre
Pen -A. Goromaru
Con – A. Goromaru
Drop –
Cards -R.Simmons (13th min yellow), Sam Talakai (yellow 69th min)
Match Officials
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1:Nic Berry
Assistant Ref 2:James Leckie
TMO : George Ayoub
Teams
Waratahs
1. Paddy Ryan , 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau , 3. Angus Ta’avao ( Waratahs debut) , 4. Dean Mumm , 5. Will Skelton , 6. David Dennis (VC) , 7. Michael Hooper (C s) , 8. Jed Holloway , 9. Nick Phipps , 10. Kurtley Beale , 11. Zac Guildford ( Waratahs debut ) , 12. David Horwitz (Waratahs debut) , 13. Rob Horne , 14. Matt Carraro , 15. Israel Folau
Replacements : 16. Tolu Latu , 17. Benn Robinson , 18. Jeremy Tilse , 19. Sam Lousi , 20. Jack Dempsey , 21. Matt Lucas , 22. Bryce Hegarty , 23. Reece Robinson
Reds
1. Ben Daley , 2. Saia Fainga’a , 3. Greg Holmes , 4. Cadeyrn Neville (Queensland debut) , 5. Rob Simmons (C) , 6. Hendrik Tui , 7. Curtis Browning , 8. Jake Schatz , 9. Nick Frisby , 10. Jake McIntyre , 11. Eto Nabuli (Queensland/Super Rugby debut) , 12. Henry Taefu (Queensland/Super Rugby debut) , 13. Samu Kerevi , 14. Chris Feauai-Sautia , 15. Karmichael Hunt
Replacements : 16. Andrew Ready , 17. Sef Fa’agase , 18. Sam Talakai , 19. Ben Matwijow (Queensland/Super Rugby debut) , 20. Michael Gunn , 21. Scott Gale , 22. Sam Greene , 23. Ayumu Goromaru (Queensland/Super Rugby debut)
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