The Western Drive have been crushed by the Waratahs of their all-Australian Tremendous Rugby bout at Allianz Stadium, taking place 36-16.
Regardless of having gained yet one more recreation than the Waratahs this season, it was not a cheerful return to his previous stomping floor for Drive coach Simon Cron as they had been outclassed by the New South Welshman.
The Drive had been starved of territory and possession within the first half and went into the break trailing by 16 factors and despite the fact that there have been extra positives within the second half, the ‘Tahs’ class shone via.
The loss leaves the Drive 11th on the ladder, with the Waratahs leapfrogging them to maneuver off second-bottom on the desk.
Solely the intervention of the tv match official denied Dave Porecki a attempt inside six minutes, earlier than Ben Donaldson’s penalty gave the Waratahs an early lead, whereas Mark Nawaqanitawase virtually scored after latching onto a grubber quickly after.
It was not lengthy earlier than the hosts made their dominance depend within the attempt column, when Izaia Perese burst via following a intelligent Jake Gordon move after virtually a dozen phases.
Jake Strachan hit again with a penalty, however the Waratahs loved nearly all of possession and felt their dominance, looking territory fairly than factors when successful penalties.
The Drive’s first half was summed up in two performs three minutes aside – firstly, Jackson Pugh was yellow carded and though the Drive gained a penalty from the ensuing scrum, they botched the line-out after kicking for contact.
Then, Strachan snaffled a chip kick by Nawaqanitawase in mid-air and regardless of some good mixture passing on the breakaway from the fly-half, Isaak Fines-Leleiwasa and Manasa Mataele, the ultimate move butchered a possibility to attain.
They had been made to pay quickly after because the Waratahs stormed down the sector and Perese fed Nawaqanitawase to attain within the nook.
A Strachan penalty decreased the margin to 17-6, however on the stroke of half-time, Strachan’s low kick was blocked by Gordon and the scrum half streaked away to attain the host’s third attempt of the half.
The Drive began the second half stronger and had been in a position to power the Waratahs into various indiscretions, however their execution lacked – greatest evidenced by a Chase Tiatia penalty kick for contact which dribbled over the try-line.
53 minutes in, the house aspect pushed the lead out to 23 factors due to a Harry Johnson-Holmes’ transformed attempt after they burrowed down deep contained in the Drive’s 22.
On the hour mark, the Drive lastly made a big dent on the scoreboard when Hamish Stewart’s cross-field kick was claimed by Mataele, who fought off Max Jorgensen in mid-air to attain a attempt, whereas Will Harris was sin-binned for the hosts.
Zach Kibirige offered yet one more spotlight play because the winger scored his sixth attempt of the season with a scintillating solo effort with 10 minutes to play, gathering one other Stewart kick within the air earlier than chipping over Jorgensen and touching down.
With time dying down, an acrobatic Mahe Vailanu move as he was pushed out of contact allowed Perese to seize his second attempt of the sport and safe a bonus level for the Waratahs.
Waratahs 36
T: Perese x 2, Nawaqanitawase, Gordon, Johnson-Holmes.
C: Donaldson 3/4.
P: Donaldson 1/1.
Western Drive 16
T: Mataele, Kibirige.
C: Strachan 0/1, Kuenzle 0/1.
P: Strachan 2/2.
