The Waratahs host the Brumbies in the final match on Australian soil for the regular season and they will be aiming for back to back wins over the Brumbies this year.
The Brumbies cannot reach the 2018 playoffs and the Waratahs have already won the Australian Super Rugby Conference, finishing nine points ahead of the Rebels.
- The Waratahs earned a 24-17 win in their most recent encounter with the Brumbies, snapping a three-game losing streak against them.
- The Waratahs have won eight of their last nine Australian derbies, including their last five on the bounce across which they’ve scored 50+ points in a game on two occasions.
- The Brumbies have lost their last four national derbies away from home; however, just one of those four games saw either squad scored 20+ points.
- The Waratahs have scored 108 points since Super Rugby returned from the international break, 28 more than any other team and 65 more than the Brumbies.
- The Brumbies’ David Pocock has won 19 turnovers this campaign from just nine appearances, only Kwagga Smith of the Lions (21 in 14 games) has won more.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
Scott Sio has failed a fitness test so Nic Mayhew comes off the bench into the starting line-up for the Brumbies. Ben Alexander moves to the bench in the No 17 jersey.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Sydney for this last of the Australian derbies for 2018.
2.00: Conditions are very good for rugby, dry underfoot and no wind to speak of.
3.00: TRY! Tom Banks, like a thief in the night, picks up a loose pass from Curtis Rona and races 75 metres to score under the posts. It is Banks’ ninth try of the season. 0-5
5.00: CONVERSION! Christian Lealiifano slots the kick. 0-7
6.00: Henry Speight takes Bernard Foley’s bomb and charges forward, beating several defenders. Andrew Muirhead’s pass to Kyle Godwin goes forward after a knock-on. Scrum to the Tahs.
8.00: The Waratahs are awarded a penalty at the scrum. Foley kicks to the 22.
9.00: An early drive at the lineout gives the Tahs another opportunity. Foley decides to take a shot at goal.
10.00: PENALTY! Foley puts the Tahs on the board. 3-7
12.00: TRY! Lealiifano steps inside and offloads Joe Powell. The halfback takes a tackle but offloads to Nic Mayhew in support. The loosehead prop carries towards the try-line and passes to Richie Arnold, who scores under the posts. 3-12
13.00: CONVERSION! Lealiifano adds the two. 3-14
17.00: Allan Alaalatoa is pinged for a second time for collapsing. referee Angus Gardner has a word with the tighthead. Foley kicks to the corner, but Damien Fitzpatrick fluffs another lineout. his throwing has been poor all season.
18.00: Another Damien Fitzpatrick overthrow gives the ball to the Brumbies.
19.00: The Brumbies break into the Waratahs 22, they are knocking on the door.
20.00: TRY! Richie Arnold breaks and pops to Isi Naisarani, who swallow dives over the line and under the posts. 3-19
21.00: CONVERSION! It’s good. 3-21
23.00: Foley kicks another penalty to the corner. Can the Tahs get their lineout right?
24.00: YELLOW CARD! Folau Fainga’a is off for cynical play in the maul. Lachlan Mccaffrey was also pinged for a side entry.
26.00: The Waratahs go through the phases, winning a turnover after loses the ball in the initial attack. Again, they botch an attack with some more poor handling.
27.00: Sekope Kepu is pinged at the lineout. Banks clears to the Waratahs half.
30.00: Kepu is pinged after the prop cleans out Powell, but the ball was not out. Banks kicks to the Tahs 22.
32.00: TRY! The Waratahs hit back after some great work around the fringes of the ruck. Ned Hanigan got caught but offloaded Fitzpatrick. The hooker powers his way over the line. 8-21
34.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the extras. 10-21
35.00: TRY! Muirhead slides through a few poor tackles, swerving through the crowd and jinking his way for a 50 metre-try. 10-26
36.00: MISS! Lealiifano’s kick comes back off the post. 10-26
38.00: The Brumbies win another penalty at the scrum. It’s Kepu who they are targeting.
39.00: Rob Simmons wins the Brumbies lineout and the Tahs are on the attack inside the Brumbies 22.
40.00: Mayhew steals the ball as the hooter sounds, but instead of kicking the ball out, they go downtown, allowing the Waratahs to counter.
42.00: Banks cleans up at the back.
The halftime score was Waratahs 10 Brumbies 26
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Australia.
44.00: New South Wales have it all to do in this half. Win and they get second, lose and it’s third.
46.00: Banks with a huge tackle on Taqele Naiyaravoro on the try-line. The ball is dislodged forward from the winger. Naiyaravoro has 14 tries, scoring five doubles this season and is looking to beat Joe Roff’s 15.
48.00: TRY! Kyle Godwin, in his last game for the Brumbies, scores a beauty. He sidestepped through the traffic and chipped Israel Folau, gathered and his momentum in the tackle carried him over the whitewash. 10-31
49.00: CONVERSION! The kick is good. 10-33
52.00: TRY! Folau goes close, offloads to Naiyaravoro, who powers over for his record-equalling Super Rugby try. 15-33
53.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the touchline kick. 17-33
55.00: The Waratahs are still in this, they just need to get Folau and Naiyaravoro involved more, especially down the left-hand channels.
59.00: NSW is starting to find their rhythm.
61.00: Brumbies turnover the ball inside their 22 and are on the attack.
62.00: The away team are exhausted; they are ringing the changes.
66.00: The Brumbies are in control. They win another penalty at the breakdown for hands in the ruck.
69.00: Another penalty for collapsing goes against NSW. The Brumbies kick to the corner.
70.00: YELLOW CARD! Tom Staniforth is off for collapsing the maul.
71.00: Jake Gordon and Ned Hanigan penalised. The ref talks to Foley.
72.00: The Brumbies lose their lineout – the Tahs breath a sigh of relief.
73.00: TRY! IT’S MILLER TIME! Will Miller races away for the score. 22-33
74.00: CONVERSION! Foley makes it an eight-point game. 24-33
76.00: TRY! Lausii Taliauli is over after taking Tevita Kuridrani’s kick. Kuridrani burst through the Tahs defence, fended off a defender and put in the kick for Taliauli. 24-38
77.00: CONVERSION! It’s good: game over. 24-40
80.00: TRY! Brad Wilkin scores his first Super Rugby try as the hooter sounds. 29-40
82.00: CONVERSION! Foley ends with five from five. 31-40
Game over.
In the meantime why not have a look at the match preview.
To refresh this page click HERE. Live In-Play Betting.
The final score is Waratahs 31 (10) Brumbies 40 (26)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Fitzpatrick, Naiyaravoro, Miller, Wilkin
Pen – Foley
Con – Foley (4)
Drop –
Cards – Staniforth (Yellow, 70′)
Brumbies
Tries – Banks, Richie Arnold, Naisarani, Muirhead, Godwin, Taliauli
Pen –
Con – Lealiifano (5)
Drop –
Cards – Fainga’a (Yellow, 24′)
Match Officials
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1: Will Houston
Assistant Ref 2: James Leckie
TMO: George Ayoub
Teams
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Cameron Clark, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (captain), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Alex Newsome, 23 Bryce Hegarty.
Brumbies: 15 Tom Banks, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Andrew Muirhead, 10 Christian Lealiifano, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 David Pocock, 6 Blake Enever, 5 Richie Arnold, 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Nic Mayhew.
Replacements: 16 Connal Mcinerney, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 19 Sam Carter, 20 Lachlan Mccaffrey, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 Wharenui Hawera, 23 Lausii Taliauli.
