The New South Wales Waratahs host Japan’s Sunwolves at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
NSW sits four points clear of the Rebels with two matches left after Melbourne fell to the Reds on Friday and a win would make their conference lead unassailable.
- The Waratahs have won both of their previous two games against the Sunwolves, posting a half-century against them on each occasion.
- The Waratahs have won four of their last six games at home (L2), averaging 41 points per game in those four victories.
- The Sunwolves have won three of their last five games, including two come-from-behind victories in that time.
- The Waratahs (32) have scored the most points per game of any team this season, while the Sunwolves (39) have conceded the most.
- Taqele Naiyaravoro (12 tries in 12 games) is one of only three players (Ben Lam, Michael Tambwe) to average one try per game this season (min. 2 apps).
Match detail
Israel Folau is back from suspension.
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Sydney.
3.00: Some good work by the Waratahs, but the Sunwolves are strong.
7.00: The Sunwolves are working their way into the opposition’s half with some good pick-and-drives then moving the ball with speed and tempo.
8.00: Penalty to the Japanese.
10.00: PENALTY! Hayden Parker slots his 36 successful kick, a Super Rugby record. 0-3
11.00: TRY! Sekope Kepu crashes over from short range. It came from a strong run by Jed Holloway. Bernard Foley put a long, looping pass to Will Miller, who was tackled short before the ball was recycled for Kepu. 5-3
12.00: CONVERSION! Foley becomes the 10th player in Super Rugby to pass 900 points. 7-3
15.00: Sunwolves take a quick-tap penalty and are driving towards the Tahs’ 22. Probably should have taken the points because they did a few minutes’ ago. 22 drop-out.
17.00: NSW is pinged at the ruck. The Sunwolves tap-and-go. Boy, they love to play up-tempo rugby.
18.00: Nick Phipps kicks the ball out on the full. Lineout to the visitors inside the Waratahs half.
19.00: Miller is penalised at the ruck; referee Federico Anselmi speaks to Foley about multiple infringements at the breakdown.
20.00: PENALTY! Parker negotiates the swirling breeze and makes it a one-point ball-game. 7-6
22.00: TRY! Akihito Yamada gathers Jason Emery’s kick after a huge hit on a Tahs player won the turnover, and races away for the score. 7-11
23.00: CONVERSION! Parker adds the extras. 7-13
25.00: Damien Fitzpatrick is down with a dislocated finger.
25.00: TRY! a poor lineout works out perfectly for the home side. Kurtley Beale throws a double skip-pass to Israel Folau who takes the ball flat and races away to the corner untouched. It is his ninth try in seven matches at the Allianz. 12-13
27.00: MISS! Foley can’t add the sideline conversion. 12-13
28.00: TRY! THE BUS IS FULL! Michael Leitch hands off Ned Hanigan and races away to score. Parker put Yamada in a hole and the winger drew a defender before passing to Leitch. 12-18
30.00: MISS! Wow! That was a gimme for Parker. His 37 from 37 streak ends. 12-18
32.00: Fitzpatrick throws skew, not for the first time this evening – scrum Sunwolves.
32.00: Michael Little is penalised for hands in the ruck. Foley kicks to the Sunwolves 22.
33.00: It’s not straight again by Fitzpatrick; he’s struggling with his throwing and one wonders if his finger is okay.
34.00: TRY! Beale scores his first try since 2014 at Allianz. Phipps and Kepu combined to set-up Beale’s score. Foley also involved with a lovely pass to Phipps. 17-18
36.00: CONVERSION! Foley puts his side back in front. 19-18
37.00: It’s helter-skelter by both teams. Passes are going long and wide and the offloads are flowing, however, the final pass has been sloppy – except for the tries, of course.
38.00: Great work by Miller at the breakdown, winning the penalty. Foley releases the pressure.
39.00: TRY! Folau is in for a brace. Taqele Naiyaravoro throws another dodgy pass, but it lands in the hands of a team-mate and the Tahs go wide. Foley is driven into the turf by Semisi Masirewa before putting the fullback away. Kepu involved again with a wrap-around pass with Foley. Folau scores his ninth try and a third brace of the season. 24-18
39.00: RED CARD! Huge call by the TMO and referee. Masirewa is sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle, driving Foley’s head into the ground.
41.00: MISS! Yamada almost charges down Foley’s kick, but he does enough to put him off. 24-18
The halftime score was Waratahs 24 Sunwolves 18
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Australia.
42.00: Penalty to the Tahs straight from the kick-off. Foley will take a shot.
42.00: PENALTY! Foley slots the kick. 27-18
43.00: Folau has got 103 run metres, two linebreaks and 2 tackle busts to go with his third double of the season. The Waratahs have made eight linebreaks while both teams have missed eight tackles.
44.00: TRY! Folau is running riot; he slips a tackle, bounces a defender before offloading to Naiyaravoro. The ball is recycled wide before being sent back to the left wing. Miller put Beale in the hole, he played Naiyaravoro. The winger holds off a defender and gives the pass to Hanigan, who is over for the try.
45.00: MISS! The kick is wide. 32-18
47.00: TRY! The Waratahs are punishing the Sunwolves. This time Rob Simmons runs through a gap, Phipps, who sent the lock away, supports and is put away under the sticks for his 20th Super Rugby try. 37-18
48.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the easy kick. 39-18
50.00: Phipps, Hanigan and Miller combine on the touchline, but the move breaks down with a knock-on near the try-line. Defensive scrum to the visitors five metres out.
52.00: TRY! Naiyaravoro breaks Ryoto Nakamura’s tackle and strolls in for his 13th Super Rugby try this season. He breaks Folau’s record of 12 in THE 2014 campaign. 44-18
54.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds the extras. 46-18
55.00: TRY! Yamada puts on the burners, goosesteps Folau before rounding him for the score. 46-23
56.00: CONVERSION! Parker refinds his radar. 46-25
60.00: The Waratahs are in the red zone.
61.00: TRY! Curtis Rona dots down in the corner after taking Phipps’ pop-over-the-top pass took out two defenders. Beale and Hanigan involved in the build-up, again. 51-25
63.00: CONVERSION! Foley adds his fifth conversion. 53-25
65.00: TRY! Michael Wells is in the corner for the Tahs’ ninth try, taking Rona’s pass and crashing over. 58-25
66.00: CONVERSION! Foley slots another. 60-25
69.00: Massive scrum by the Aussies and they win the penalty. Foley clears.
70.00: YELLOW CARD! Fumiaki Tanaka is off for 10 minutes for a neck-role tackle on Jake Gordon.
72.00: TRY! It’s a double for Naiyaravoro, and a Waratahs try-scoring record of 14 tries in a season. He beats defenders and slips a couple of tackles before celebrating with a kiss of the ball. 65-25
74.00: CONVERSION! Foley hits a perfect kick. 67-25
74.00: TRY! Alex Newsome scores his first try of the season, taking Holloway’s pass after the lock broke through two tackles. That’s poor from the Sunwolves.
76.00: MISS! Foley’s kick hits the post for the second time this evening. 72-25
79.00: TRY! It’s a double for Newsome, the fourth of the match. 77-25
81.00: MISS! Foley’s kick swings around but drops under the bar. 77-25
Game over.
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The final score is Waratahs 77 (24) Sunwolves 25 (18)
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries – Kepu, Folau (2), Beale, Hanigan, Phipps, Naiyaravoro (2), Rona, Wells, Newsome (2)
Pen – Foley
Con – Foley (7)
Drop –
Cards –
Sunwolves
Tries – Yamada (2), Leitch
Pen – Parker (2)
Con – Parker (2)
Drop –
Cards – Masirewa (Red, 39′), Tanaka (Yellow, 70′)
Match Officials
Referee: Federico Anselmi
Assistant Ref 1: Will Houston
Assistant Ref 2: James Leckie
TMO: Damien Mitchelmore
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 Bryce Hegarty, 23 Alex Newsome.
Sunwolves: 15 Ryuji Noguchi, 14 Semisi Masirewa, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Michael Little, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Yutaka Nagare (captain), 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Edward Quirk, 6 Michael Leitch, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 James Moore, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Jaba Bregvadze, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements: 16 Yusuke Niwai, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Rahboni Warren Vosayako, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Rikiya Matsuda, 23 Ryoto Nakamura
