The Waratahs were dealt a reality check on Friday night in a 31-29 loss to the Sunwolves in Newcastle.
What are we talking about after that defeat?
1. Waratahs blow golden chance for conference points
It’s hard to believe this Waratahs outfit was the same team that beat the Crusaders just a week ago.
Granted, they were missing three key Wallabies from that match with Bernard Foley, Jack Dempsey and Adam Ashley-Cooper rested, but they didn’t look anywhere near as threatening this weekend.
And, as Sunwolves coach Tony Brown pointed out post-match, they were down internationals as well with Japan's own World Cup policy.
It’s becoming a familiar trait of the Waratahs that they match it with the best teams but struggle to dominate with teams that they should be expected to beat and it's a trait they need to shake.
The Sunwolves were certainly the better side but the Waratahs’ errors hurt them at crucial times in the game and along with the loss went a chance to really open up a gap on the rest of the conference.
2. Mason thrown into the fire
Mack Mason is a talented footballer but he didn’t fire for the Waratahs in just his second start in three seasons.
The 23-year-old has had limited minutes so far this year and didn’t get a game in Super Rugby in 2018, so it was never going to be an easy assignment to step up.
The Easts 10 will improve with more game time but he needs to find opportunities before Bernard Foley leaves the Waratahs, something that is shaping up to occur as early as next season.
Mason will likely have another opportunity with Foley expected to be required to sit out another game as part of the Wallabies’ pre-World Cup load management but this was a tough night in the office.
Ironically, that likelihood is probably Mason's greatest blessing, something that will give him the chance to put Friday night behind him.
3. Next rest week the ultimate test
Almost every Super Rugby team is feeling the effects of load management ahead of the World Cup but the Waratahs’ loss tonight was an interesting test case.
All the Aussie teams signed up for the policy and Daryl Gibson said he would have still rested the trio if he had his time again, but it will be a major learning curve for everyone.
Whatever your opinion on the policy, teams need to learn how to handle it when their top tier players are rotated out of the side.
The Waratahs still have a host of players who are yet to serve either any of their rest or still have another week to go in the season.
Michael Hooper, Israel Folau, Sekope Kepu, Ned Hanigan and Rob Simmons are all yet to sit out a game this season and the first three of those names could potentially still have two matches to sit out.
The test for NSW will be if they can ensure they weather the storm the next time they rotate their Test players.
4. Defensive approach needs greater foundation
The Waratahs’ Blue Wall just wasn’t there on Friday night the same way it was against the Crusaders.
Gone were dominant hits at the breakdown and in was an approach even skipper Michael Hooper described as "passive" post-match.
The Sunwolves were able to keep on rolling and keep the game at a breakneck pace, forcing errors and continuing their momentum.
It was symptomatic of many of the parts of their game on Friday night, an element that was the difference against the Crusaders slipped awau
5. Sunwolves proving a point
News that your team’s time in Super Rugby is seriously limited could send players one of two ways.
Either it galvanises a group keen to make a point or it overwhelms players and staff and things begin to fall apart.
On Friday night, the Sunwolves were very much the former and they looked like a team that could be a problematic one for many Super Rugby opponents.
They looked like a team on a mission in Newcastle and their grit to keep the Waratahs out towards the end of the game capped off that performance.
