The Waratahs host the Reds in the penultimate Super Rugby match this weekend.
New South Wales will be looking to extend their winning streak against the Queenslanders to seven straight wins.
The Waratahs have played the Reds 28 times in Super Rugby and they have won 14 matches, lost 13 and drawn one.
- This is the first Queensland vs New South Wales rugby clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) since 1983.
- The Waratahs have won their last seven games in a row against the Reds, this after having lost their previous five on the bounce against the Queensland side.
- New South Wales have won their last three games on the trot overall, the last time they won more was a four-game streak in April-May 2016.
- The Brisbane club has won only two of their last 13 Australian derbies when playing away from home, conceding 45 points in each of their last two such fixtures.
- The Reds have a tackle success rate of 86% this campaign, the best of any team in the competition.
- Michael Hooper has crossed for a try in two of his last three games against the Reds and has scored a try in three of his last six games overall.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway at the SCG for the first ever Super Rugby match in this famous arena.
3.00: The Waratahs have started well, going through the phases and winning a key turnover before being awarded a penalty.
4.00: PENALTY! Bernard Foley bangs over the first points of this derby. 3-0
6.00: The Waratahs are back inside Queensland territory. Taqele Naiyaravoro‘s mini-break has brought them inside the Reds’ 22.
7.00: Great work at the ruck by the Reds’ winning the turnover after the Tahs had gone six phases and were five metres from their goal-line.
8.00: The home team regain possession and win a penalty for a deliberate knockdown. Michael Hooper tells Foley to kick to the corner.
9.00: The home team drive over the try-line, but they are held up. They get the attacking scrum feed.
11.00: Naiyaravoro dives over in the corner, but loses the ball in the process. There was some good defending by Filipo Daugunu, whose tackle helped dislodge the ball from the big man.
13.00: James Slipper is being attended to for a cut to the head.
15.00: The Waratahs have had all the possession and territory in the early exchanges, but can’t turn the pressure into points.
16.00: It’s all New South Wales. They are running from their line, playing with width, show-and-goes and backhand offloads as they look to play at a high tempo. They are getting quick ball at the breakdown, too.
17.00: The Reds are penalised and this time Hooper opts for the posts.
18.00: PENALTY! Foley slots the kick. 6-0
20.00: James Tuttle’s box-kick is gathered and sent wide to Foley. The Tahs immediately go wide, looking to spread the Queensland defence.
21.00: Liam Wright wins a crucial penalty at the breakdown giving his team some much-needed rest before they clear to the halfway line.
24.00: Tom Robertson is pinged for not rolling away, giving the Reds a chance to halve the deficit.
25.00: PENALTY! Tuttle’s kick sailed through the uprights. 6-3
27.00: The Reds have not scored more than 10 points in Sydney since 2013: Wow!
29.00: The Waratahs have spent 65 percent of the time in play inside the Reds’ half and have had 70% possession. However, the visitors are slowly gaining a foothold in this derby.
30.00: The Reds botch an attacking lineout on the NSW’s five-metre line. Scrum to the Tahs, who clear their lines.
33.00: Daugunu breaks down the sideline and plays Tuttle. But the move breaks down after some excellent work by Will Miller at the ruck and the Tahs counter-attack.
34.00: Kurtley Beale breaks, playing the supporting Bryce Hegarty, but the fullback’s pass is high and Foley loses it into touch. Poor from Hegarty.
37.00: TRY! Jake Gordon collects Wells’ pass and is over for the score. Wells beat the outside defence, slipping Samu Kerevi’s tackle before offloading to the halfback. It came from Tuttle kicking away possession to Beale, who started the counter-attack. 11-3
38.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the extras. 13-3
39.00: Beale is penalised at the ruck which will allow Tuttle to have a shot in front of the sticks before half-time.
40.00: PENALTY! Tuttle slots the kick. 13-6
41.00: The Reds gather the restart and Tuttle puts the ball into touch.
The half-time score was Waratahs 13 Reds 6
41.00: PEEEEP! we are back underway in this Australian derby.
43.00: The Reds go eight phases, setting the platform for a wide attack, but it comes to nothing. However, the Waratahs were caught offsides and Tuttle will take a shot at goal.
44.00: PENALTY! Tuttle kicks his third penalty, narrowing the gap to four points. 13-9
46.00: Damien Fitzpatrick collects Beale’s chip-kick but his pass to Foley, in support, goes forward.
47.00: Good scrum by the Reds, who win the scrum penalty. They are starting to get the upper hand in the set-piece.
48.00: TRY! Taqele Naiyaravoro intercepts Jono Lance’s stray pass and puts on the jet burners. He has scored six tries his last four games and this is his first against the Reds. 18-9
50.00: CONVERSION! Foley’s touchline conversion curls between the posts. 20-9
54.00: The home side win the penalty and Hooper opts for the points.
55.00: PENALTY! Foley makes no mistake. 23-9
57.00: The ball security by the Reds is costing them. They have to hold possession better or they will lose their eighth straight game against their bitter rivals.
59.00: TRY! Filipo Daugunu pounces on Alex Newsome’s mistake and races away to score against the run of play. That might be the spark the visitors needed. 23-14
60.00: CONVERSION! Lance adds the extras. 23-16
61.00: We have a game, now.
64.00: The Reds are back on the attack inside the home team’s 22. They are going through the phases, being patient, probing the edges of the ruck in search of another score.
65.00: Nick Phipps makes his first Super Rugby appearance of the 2018 season; he’s on for try-scorer Gordon.
67.00: Paddy Ryan comes on for his 100th cap for New South Wales (98 for the Waratahs in Super Rugby).
68.00: Both teams are ringing the changes which are stopping the flow of the game because the new players are not up to the pace of the game.
69.00: Oh dear! Alex Mafi throws skew; it’s his third wayward throw and it is killing his team.
71.00: The Reds have overturned the possession and territory statistics. They have had 58% possession and 53% territory while going through seven phases more than six times to the Waratahs’ zero.
72.00: TRY! Naiyaravoro barges over the whitewash after the Waratahs go eight phases for the first time this evening. The winger took Phipps’ pass after some quick ruck ball. 28-16
73.00: CONVERSION! Foley brings up 101 points against the Reds in Super Rugby with his sixth successful kick. 30-16
77.00: Naiyaravoro intercepts again, but he is called back because of earlier offsides in the previous phase.
78.00: Tate McDermott takes a quick-tap penalty after an early engagement at the lineout by the Tahs. The ball is lost, but they get another penalty.
79.00: Wonderful work at the ruck by the Waratahs, who win the penalty and clear to halfway.
80.00: Curtis Rona breaks into the Reds half and plays Beale on his outside. The move breaks down, but the Tahs get a penalty for offsides.
81.00: TRY! Harry Johnson-Holmes gets his first Super rugby try after a pick-and-drive. 35-16
82.00: CONVERSION! Foley slots his seventh kick in a flawless display from the tee. 37-16
FULL-TIME.
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The final score: Waratahs 37 (13) Reds 16 (6)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Gordon, Naiyaravoro (2), Johnson-Holmes
Pen – Foley (3)
Con – Foley (4)
Drop –
Cards –
Reds
Tries – Daugunu
Pen – Tuttle (3)
Con – Lance
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Angus Gardner
Assistant Ref 1: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 2: James Leckie
TMO: George Ayoub
Teams
Waratahs
15 Bryce Hegarty, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 Will Miller, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Ned Hanigan, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Jed Holloway, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Lalakai Foketi, 23 Cameron Clark.
Reds
15 Aidan Toua, 14 Filipo Daugunu, 13 Chris Feauai-Sautia, 12 Samu Kerevi, 11 Izaia Perese, 10 Jono Lance, 9 James Tuttle, 8 Caleb Timu, 7 Liam Wright, 6 Lukhan Tui, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Ruan Smith, 2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 1 James Slipper (captain).
Replacements: 16 Alex Mafi, 17 Jean-Pierre Smith, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Adam Korczyk, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Hamish Stewart, 23 Jordan Petaia
