The NSW Waratahs were left frustrated after a 35-20 loss to the Blues in Sydney, a result that not only marked their third straight defeat but also handed the visitors a place in the record books.
It was a night that slipped through the Waratahs’ fingers. They dominated large parts of the first half, created chances at will, but failed to convert. By the end, those missed opportunities came back to haunt them.
“We left about six tries out there,” said centre Joey Walton, whose 50th appearance for the club ended on a sour note.
Head coach Dan McKellar could barely hide his frustration as his side wasted chance after chance early on. Despite controlling territory and possession, the Waratahs struggled to finish, with handling errors and missed final passes proving costly.
The Blues, meanwhile, showed resilience. Even after going down to 14 men for 10 minutes in the first half, they held firm under pressure and capitalised when it mattered most.
The Waratahs were also forced into a late reshuffle before kick-off, with Triston Reilly ruled out through injury. That disruption didn’t seem to affect them early, as they built a 17-8 lead by halftime and stretched it further early in the second half.
At that point, the game looked in their control.
But rugby matches aren’t won in 60 minutes.
The Blues flipped the script in the final quarter, running in 27 unanswered points to seal a bonus-point win. It was a clinical finish that exposed the Waratahs’ inability to close out games — a problem that is quickly becoming a pattern.
“It shows you’ve got to play for 80 minutes,” said captain Matt Philip. “Two weeks in a row now we’ve been ahead after 60, 65 minutes and then let it go.”
The defeat saw the Waratahs drop out of the top six for the first time this season. For the Blues, it was even more significant — their 12th straight win over a Super Rugby opponent, a milestone not achieved in three decades.
Attention now turns quickly to a crucial clash against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra. With their finals hopes under pressure, the Waratahs know there is little room left for error.
“It’s a huge week,” Philip said. “We’ve got to review this game, understand where we went wrong, especially in those last 20 minutes, and then move forward.”
Blues 35 (Tries: Lam 2, Christie, Vai; Cons: Barrett 2; Pens: Barrett 2) def NSW Waratahs 20 (Tries: Debreczini, Lambert; Cons: Harvey 2; Pens: Harvey 2)
Waratahs: 15 Sid Harvey, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Triston Reilly, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Max Jorgensen, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jamie Adamson, 6 Clem Halaholo, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (captain), 3 Daniel Botha, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert
Replacements: 16 Ioane Moananu, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Leafi Talataina, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Lawson Creighton, 23 George Poolman
Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Codemeru Vai, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Dalton Papali’i (captain), 6 Anton Segner, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Sam Matenga, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Replacements: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Che Clark, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Payton Spencer
Referee: Jordan Way
Assistant Referees: Damon Muprhy, Jeremy Markey
TMO: James Leckie
English