Waratahs Notch Victory for Waugh Ton
The Waratahs remain unbeaten in three starts after the four-tries-to-one, bonus-point victory at the Sydney Football Stadium.
Man of the match Kurtley Beale was instrumental again for the Tahs, having a hand in both first half tries and booting five from five to relieve the pressure of a poor kicking display against the Chiefs last week.
Waugh, sporting his now regular head bandage, may have trouble remembering all of his 100th after copping a 35th minute accidental knee to the head.
It left him flat on his back and receiving attention but the hard man played on, much to the delight of a disappointing crowd of 19,492.
It took NSW most of the first 40 minutes to click, but Beale had somehow conjured a 17-9 lead by the break.
The Highlanders had led 6-0 after 14 minutes through two penalty goals to Daniel Bowden.
Beale squandered an early chance, electing to kick ahead rather than pass to unmarked winger Lachie Turner which resulted in a Tom Carter try being disallowed for offside in the 12th minute.
But the No.10 made amends with a deft grubber kick for Lote Tuqiri's 24th minute five-pointer and a superb inside ball for fullback Sam Norton-Knight to set up a try on the stroke of halftime for flanker Ben Mowen.
Two sideline conversions and a 32nd minute penalty from Beale ensured the handy lead at the break.
When Wycliff Palu barged over two minutes after the break to celebrate his 50th game for NSW, 24-9 looked like it would be too much for the visitors to make up.
They rallied when stand-in skipper Jason Shoemark took advantage of an overlap in the 50th minute to get within eight points, but Beale made it 27-16 with a 55th-minute penalty goal.
The inexperienced Highlanders didn't give up and for much of the second half looked more likely to score a second try than NSW did of grabbing a fourth.
But Brett Sheehan ensured the extra point when he sprinted away in the 78th minute to complete a patchy win for the Waratahs.
Reds Torch Cheetahs but Waste Chances
The Reds sealed their first win of the season with a three-tries-to-nil triumph but they should have reaped far more points on a hot and humid Brisbane day as their high-risk attacking game torched the struggling South Africans.
Cheetahs skipper Juan Smith didn't mince words after the loss, his team's 17th on the trot in Australasia: "There's only one way to describe it, shocking from us".
Reds counterpart Berrick Barnes was also disappointed, frustrated by a host of bombed tries.
"We killed ourselves in the first half in terms of that bonus point by not taking our opportunities," he said.
But the win will ensure the competition's newest entertainers head into their biggest match of the year, against the unbeaten Waratahs in Sydney on Friday, with some momentum.
The Reds led 15-3 after a 55m Digby Ioane try in the 48th minute for a four-try bonus point to be looking likely but their own poor finishing and a controversial disallowed try took the wind out of their sails.
Lock Hugh McMeniman, in his return from compassionate leave, finished a brilliant team try midway through the second half, but it was denied on a touch judge report for a debatable Quade Cooper shoulder charge minutes earlier.
Five-eighth Cooper appeared to take opposite number Meyer Bosman out as much with his arms in full view of referee Ian Smith.
The decision set the Reds back but they managed to finally score a third five-pointer when lock Van Humphries scooted clear and sent Peter Hynes over.
Despite 65 per cent of possession, 77 per cent of territory and four line breaks, the Reds only held a 7-3 lead at the break, and were lucky to have that as Cheetahs No.8 Frans Viljoen dropped the ball on the line in the last play of the half.
The only other occasion the visitors made it near the Reds quarter, radar-boot Jaques-Louis Potgeiter slotted a sixth-minute penalty for a 3-0 advantage.
Playmakers Cooper and Barnes pulled the strings dangerously but the home side failed to capitalise on the helter-skelter style due to poor handling.
Brando Va'aulu was the worst culprit, spilling the ball with the line open after a scything break from fellow winger Hynes.
The Reds tight-five eventually showed the backs how to do it when hooker Sean Hardman, locks Humphries and McMeniman, and prop Laurie Weekes combined to put fullback Mark McLinden over for his maiden Super 14 try.
In their opening two losses, Queensland had shot themselves in the foot early in the second half but this time it was their opponents who lapsed, with a breakdown turnover allowing Ioane to score.
Super 14 Collated Results and Standings-Round 3
HURRICANES 30 (Zac Guildford, Alby Mathewson, Ma'a Nonu tries Piri Weepu 3 cons 3 pens) bt CRUSADERS 24 (Casey Laulala, Jared Payne, Brad Thorn, Thomas Waldrom tries Stephen Brett, Colin Slade cons) at AMI Stadium. Referee: Stuart Dickinson (AUS).
NSW WARATAHS 34 (Ben Mowen, Wycliff Palu, Brett Sheehan, Lote Tuqiri tries Kurtley Beale 3, Daniel Halangahu cons Beale 2 pens) bt HIGHLANDERS 16 (Jason Shoemark try Daniel Bowden con 3 pens) at Sydney Football Stadium. Referee: James Leckie (AUS). Crowd: 19,492.
SHARKS 22 (JP Pietersen 2, Francois Steyn tries Rory Kockott 2 cons pen) bt CHIEFS 15 (Aled de Malmanche, Brendon Leonard tries Stephen Donald con pen) at Waikato Stadium. Referee: Bryce Lawrence (NZL).
WESTERN FORCE 25 (Cameron Shepherd 3, Richard Brown tries Matt Giteau con pen) bt BRUMBIES 16 (Stirling Mortlock con Mark Gerrard 3 pens) at Canberra Stadium. Referee: Matt Goddard (AUS).
BULLS 16 (Pierre Spies try Morne Steyn con 3 pens) bt LIONS 9 (Andre Pretorius 2, Earl Rose pens) at Ellis Park. Referee: Philip Bosch (RSA).
BLUES 14 (Paul Williams try 3 pens) bt STORMERS 8 (Enrico Januarie try Peter Grant pen) at ABSA Stadium. Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA).
QUEENSLAND REDS 22 (Peter Hynes, Digby Ioane, Mark McLinden tries Berrick Barnes, Ben Lucas cons Lucas pen) bt CHEETAHS 3 (Jacques-Louis Potgieter pen) at Suncorp Stadium. Referee: Ian Smith (AUS).
Super 14 Ladder P W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
- Bulls 3 3 0 0 108 55 53 2 14
- NSW Waratahs 3 3 0 0 71 45 26 2 14
- Sharks 3 3 0 0 67 40 27 0 12
- Western Force 3 2 0 1 60 51 9 2 10
- Blues 3 2 0 1 65 86 -21 2 10
- Hurricanes 3 2 0 1 74 67 7 1 9
- Brumbies 3 2 0 1 67 72 -5 1 9
- Crusaders 3 1 0 2 59 61 -2 3 7
- Queensland Reds 3 1 0 2 66 63 3 2 6
- Stormers 3 1 0 2 50 58 -8 2 6
- Lions 3 1 0 2 53 69 -16 2 6
- Chiefs 3 0 0 3 35 52 -17 3 3
- Highlanders 3 0 0 3 64 89 -25 3 3
- Cheetahs 3 0 0 3 41 72 -31 2 2
Top point scorers (tries, conversions, field goals, penalty goals, points):
Morne Steyn (Bulls) - 7 1 9 44
Daniel Bowden (H'landers) 2 6 - 4 34
Mark Gerrard (Brumbies) 2 2 - 6 32
Jacques-Louis Potgieter (Cheetahs) 1 3 - 5 26
Peter Grant (Stormers) 1 4 - 4 25
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) - 6 1 3 24
Rory Kockott (Sharks) - 6 - 4 24
Pierre Spies (Bulls) 4 - - - 20
Casey Laulala (Crusaders) 4 - - - 20
Matt Giteau (Force) - 4 1 3 20
LEADING TRYSCORERS
4: Pierre Spies (Bulls), Casey Laulala (Crusaders)
3: Cameron Shepherd (Force), Ashwin Willemse (Lions), JP Pietersen (Sharks)
2: Peter Hynes (Reds), Digby Ioane (Reds), Lote Tuqiri (Waratahs), Wynand Olivier (Bulls), Mark Gerrard (Brumbies), Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies), Daniel Bowden (H'landers), Jason Shoemark (H'landers), Fourie du Preez (Bulls)
