UPDATE: Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson says he has no regrets over resting three Wallabies on Friday night despite a 31-29 loss to the Sunwolves.
Only six days ago, it was NSW who were the giant killers, with a 20-12 win over the Crusaders, but on Friday they were brought soundly back to earth by a Sunwolves side that pounced on Waratahs errors and took their opportunities in attack.
The Sunwolves threat was one of which the Waratahs were acutely aware after a 31-30 win in Tokyo in round two but where they held out a late charge in Japan, they were the side that ran out of time to claw back a lead at McDonald Jones Stadium, losing to the Sunwolves for the first time.
Their task was always going to be a difficult one in the absence of Test trio Bernard Foley, Jack Dempsey and Adam Ashley-Cooper but the Waratahs still had plenty of chances to assert their dominance.
The absence of those three, particularly Foley, was always going to be a discussion point after a loss but Gibson reiterated the team's commitment to World Cup management.
The Waratahs travel to Auckland next week to take on the Blues and Gibson was coy on whether any Test players would sit out that trip before a bye.
Hooper, prop Sekope Kepu, lock Rob Simmons and utility Ned Hanigan are among the Wallabies yet to be rested this season.
Foley is likely to sit out another game during the season as a senior Wallaby and despite the result Gibson said, their commitment to the policy was still there
"I believe it's just part of the game. I'd absolutely make the same decision with our rotation. It's a team game," he said.
"We kind of need to (keep rotating players), we signed up for the intent to make sure our Wallaby players are in good condition for the World Cup, I’m still a supporter of that.
"It’s about managing the squad well and managing the energy and how much people are playing and it’s going to be a squad effort this year, we can’t just keep putting out the same team every week."
Rookie flyhalf Mack Mason had a night he’d probably rather forget, under pressure from the get go, throwing an intercept that led directly to a try and having a patchy night with his in-play kicking as well.
Mason has played just eight minutes this season before the Newcastle game and hadn't started a Super Rugby match since 2017, waiting in line behind Foley.
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson defended his rookie playmaker, despite taking him off after just 60 minutes and pushing Kurtley Beale into the 10 spot.
"That could be one perspective but he's been doing all the training, been preparing well so I'd say no (that wasn't an issue)," he said of Mason's limited opportunities.
"Obviously everyone made mistakes, don't get me wrong. I don't think he had that platform to work off tonight but, yeah, that (substitution) was what had to be done at that time."
Mason was not alone in having a less than superb evening, though, with handling errors costing them at crucial times in a game that left many spectators scratching their heads.
Waratahs captain Michael Hooper said the team's response to this week would prove the ultimate litmus test for them.
"It's an individual thing. We probably need to work on that. That's where you build a season from," he said.
"You look at two performances and you go where was your preparation different?
"Not taking anything away from the Sunwolves. They are a good team and have shown that throughout the duration of the year.
"They've given a lot of teams a run for their money and they got us there tonight.
"So this is a chance now to review two weeks because, like Daryl said, it was quite polarising performances there."
Sunwolves winger Semisi Masirewa piled on the points for the Japanese outfit with a hat-trick, including scoring off Mason's pass, with Hayden Parker's reliable kicking ultimately proving the difference on the scoreboard.
It took the Waratahs less than two minutes for the first score, starting from a lineout, with Michael Hooper breaking the line and popping a pass to Nick Phipps who sped out of the clutches of the Sunwolves defence.
The Waratahs were playing at a pace above the Sunwolves and it was quick delivery just short of the line that led to the second Waratahs try, with Mack Mason throwing a last-second offload to Israel Folau, before it landed in Cam Clark’s hands.
A Hayden Parker dummy set the Sunwolves up for their first attacking chance and lock Grant Hattingh powered through a Kurtley Beale tackle attempt to score the visitors’ first in the
Mason had a chance to score an opportunistic try after charging down a Parker kick but in foot race for the line, he toed it dead.
The Sunwolves were slowly building momentum through possession and it paid dividends just on the half hour mark.
Flanker Dan Pryor outsmarted the Waratahs defence beating NSW down the edge and throwing an inside ball to winger Masirewa for their second of the night and the lead.
A Mason penalty narrowed the gap to two points and that’s where the Waratahs stayed at the break, as they looked to hit the reset button.
Waratahs skipper Michael Hooper found the line in the 43rd minute after some edge to edge play from the NSW side.
Wingers Cam Clark and Alex Newsome both had half-chances on their edges, helped by a Rob Simmons cut-out pass, but it was Hooper who used his power to finish off a run of quick recycles to score a short-range try.
Their lead was cut back just six minutes later when Masirewa collected a Parker offload and burned Newsome on the edge to score his second.
Masirewa was in for his third off an easy intercept, from a awry Mason pass, just four minutes later and the Japanese side suddenly looked in control.
Mason was taken off in the 60th minute and Beale stepped into flyhalf with Lalakai Foketi coming into the centres.
Beale began to try and create some magic, just missing the chance to pounce on a ball in the in-goal but the next time he spotted a chance, he didn’t waste it, running through the Sunwolves line and scoring next to the post, narrowing the margin back to two points.
While NSW dominated the territory in that final 15 minutes, the Sunwolves held their nerve and kept the Waratahs out to hang on for an historic win.
RESULT
Waratahs 29
Tries: Phipps, Clark, Hooper
Cons: Mason 2, Beale
Sunwolves 31
Tries: Masirewa 3, Hattingh
Cons: Parker 4
Pens: Parker
