What can we take out of the Waratahs' third straight win?
1. Just the four points, thanks
The Waratahs needed a bonus point to soar to the top of the Australian conference and they had their chances. Reece Robinson fell trying to get on the end of a kick that bounced perfectly in the in-goal for the NSW winger ending their first sniff. Israel Folau looked to have sealed the deal with a try after full-time. He would have got it too, but the TMO managed to call a review before Bernard Foley had a chance to take the conversion. A Michael Hooper forward pass was detected in the video replay and that was that.
2. Thas scrum bounces back
It was the ultimate achilles heel at the start of this season but it seems the Waratahs scrum is beginning to come together. In a tight early tussle, it was the scrum from which NSW drew much of their dominance. Though that might be a sentence few would have predicted a month ago, and yet there it is. With another South African side to face next weekend, it will be crucial for the Waratahs to continue that.
Waratahs scrum dominating. Wouldn't have picked that at the start of the year #WARvCHE
— Nelson York (@nelseyork) May 7, 2016
3. Iceman heating up Waratahs
Bernard Foley played a record-equalling 59th Super Rugby cap as NSW flyhalf this season, but it’s the five games he’s played this season that are the most telling. When Foley returned from a shoulder injury in round five, the Waratahs had won just one game. Since his comeback, they have won three of their five matches. The combination of Foley, Nick Phipps and Kurtley Beale has been immense since his return, and that’s no coincidence.
4. Kellaway not just a kid
Andrew Kellaway has been working his way into the Waratahs fullback spot and he’s starting to come into his run. A try-saving tackle, 62 run metres, two linebreaks and four tackle breaks read as reasonable stats. It seems the U20s star has a big future ahead of him.
5. Wallabies casualty list
A shoulder injury forced Waratahs lock Will Skelton out of the Cheetahs clash in the 25th minute, adding to an already unlucky week of injuries for the Tahs. It’s not just the NSW province that is suffering, though - Skelton is the latest Test hopeful to be under an injury cloud for the June Tests. He joins Joe Tomane and Matt Toomua as players who featured in Tests last year that will be
