The Waratahs have played the Blues 24 times in Super rugby since 1996 and the Waratahs have won 8 matches, lost 16 times and drawn none.
The Waratahs 8 wins out of 24 matches gives them a record of winning 33% of their matches against the Blues regardless of venue.
- The Blues have won each of their last four Super Rugby matches against the NSW Waratahs, each of those games has been decided by seven points or less –the last and only time they’ve won more against them was their first five fixtures in the competition (1996 –2000).
- The only previous Super Rugby game played at McDonald Jones Stadiumsaw the NSW Waratahs defeated by the Sunwolves by a two-point margin (29 March 2019); they’ve managed just one win from four games as hosts overall since that defeat (L3).
- The Blues have lost their last two Super Rugby games in Australia after having enjoyed a five-game winning streak immediately prior; the last time they lost more than two successive games in Australia was a three-game stretch across the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
- The NSW Waratahs conceded 23 turnovers during their opening round fixture, the most of any team in Round 1 this Super Rugby campaign; the last time the NSW Waratahs conceded more in a game was in Round 10, 2018 (24 vs Lions).
- The Blues’ Rieko Ioane crossed for a brace of tries in the opening round of the 2020 Super Rugby campaignand boasts having scored a total of nine tries in his last eight games against Australian opposition in the competition.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
The Waratahs kick off and the match is underway.
3.00: The Blues put together a number of phases but then don’t release so they give a penalty away.
4.00: The Waratahs get the ball into the Blues half and then kick deep but the Blues get back and kick it back.
8.00: Penalty at the line out against the Waratahs for too many men in the line out. The Blues then win another penalty so they kick for touch.
10.00: The Blues win the line out and drive over the line. Blake Gibson scores. TRY!
11.00: The conversion is missed.
12.00: The Blues turn over the ball and run with it. The Waratahs slow the attack so the Blues chip the ball ahead and chase but the Waratahs get back to secure the ball.
14.00: The Waratahs win the ball from a scrum and clear it into touch.
15.00: The line out is not straight so there will be a scrum. Lots of sloppiness from both sides.
18.00: Penalty in front to the Waratahs. Will Harrison misses.
20.00: The Blues work the ball into the Waratahs 22 but the Waratahs get to it and knock on.
24.00; Penalty to the Blues in front of the posts. Stephen Perofeta takes the shot and nails it.
27.00: The Waratahs drive the ball into the Blues half but the Blues slow the attack and win a penalty at the ruck. They kick for touch.
31.00: Scrum penalty to the Waratahs in their 22. They kick for touch and set up the line out.
32.00: The Waratahs win the line out but knock on so the Blues get the put in.
35.00: The Waratahs win a penalty from the scrum and kick for touch again.
37.00: The Waratahs win the line out and work the ball into the Blues 22. They go through 13 phases on attack but the Blues keep them out. The Waratahs have the advantage.
38.00: 17 phases on attack. The Waratahs go wide and Lalakai Foketi crashes over to score. TRY!
40.00: Harrison takes the conversion kick and nails it as the half time siren sounds.
It’s half time.
The half time score was Waratahs 7 Blues 8
40.01: The Blues kick off and the second half is underway.
41.00: The Blues get the ball back and pass it down the line where the English Test back Joe Marchant gets the ball and races in to score. TRY!
42.00: Perofeta adds the conversion.
43.00: The Blues regain the ball from the kick off and as they go on the attack the No.8 Hoskins Sotutu sees space so he chips the ball ahead and Mark Telea gets to it and dots the ball down. TRY!
45.00: Perofeta misses the conversion.
48.00; The Warathas look to hit back and drive the ball to the Blues tryline. They can’t get over but get a penalty so they take the scrum in front of the posts.
49.00: Penalty from the scrum to the Blues.
53.00: Penalty to the Blues. Perofeta takes the kick but misses.
54.00:The TMO is called in to review a tackle by Hoskins Sotutu. After a review Sotutu is shown the yellow card so he is off for ten minutes.
59.00: The rain has arrived. Forecast is that it will remain for the match.
60.00: The Waratahs use their numbers advantage and attack in the Blues corner. Mark Nawaqanitawase gets the ball on the wing and dives for the line, gets the ball down in the tackle but lands on his shoulder and neck so needs some help from the medics.
63.00: Kurtley Beale lines up the conversion. The ball falls off the tee so he has to reset and take the kick in a hurry. He misses.
65.00: The Waratahs attack with the extra player again and get the ball to the Blues 22m line. The attack is stopped by the Blues and the ball goes dead so the Blues get the scrum put in. Sotutu is ready to come back on.
71.00: The Blues attack the Waratahs in their half – they chip the ball over the top of the Waratahs and look threatening but there is a kicker ahead of the ball so the Tahs get a penalty.
75.00: The Blues continue to attack the Waratahs in their half which keeps the home side pinned back.
77.00; The Waratahs lose the ball on attack and the Blues move the ball through the hands and out to Telea who shows his pace and scores under the posts. TRY!
78.00: Perofeta slots the conversion.
80.00: The siren sounds for full time. The Blues run the ball one last time and they get it to Telea again and he races away and scores under the posts – again. TRY! A hat-trick.
Harry Plummer takes the conversion but misses.
The Blues have won.
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The full time score is Waratahs 12(7) Blues 32 (8)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries -L.Foketi, M.Nawaqanitawase
Pen –
Con -W.Harrison
Drop –
Cards –
Blues
Tries – B.Gibson, J.Marchant, M.Telea 3
Pen -S.Perofeta
Con – S.Perofeta 2
Drop –
Cards – H.Sotutu (55th min yellow)
Match Officials
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant Ref 1:Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 2:Nic Berry
TMO : Ian Smith
Teams
Waratahs
15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Lalakai Foketi, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 10 Will Harrison, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Tom Staniforth, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Robbie Abel, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacments: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tetera Faulkner, 19 Ryan McCauley, 20 Jed Holloway, 21 Tepai Moeroa, 22 Mitch Short, 23 Jack Maddocks
Blues
1. Karl Tu’inukuafe, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Sione Mafileo, 4. Patrick Tuipulotu ©, 5. Josh Goodhue, 6. Dalton Papalii, 7. Blake Gibson, 8. Hoskins Sotutu; 9. Jonathan Ruru, 10. Stephen Perofeta, 11. Mark Telea, 12. TJ Faiane, 13. Joe Marchant, 14. Jordan Hyland, 15. Matt Duffie.
Replacements : 16. James Parsons, 17. Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 18. Ofa Tuungafasi, 19. Tom Robinson, 20. Akira Ioane; 21. Sam Nock, 22. Harry Plummer, 23. Emoni Narawa.