Waratahs vs Chiefs: Five things we learned

Fri, Mar 6, 2020, 10:51 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
The Chiefs piled on 38 unanswered second half points to rout the Waratahs in Wollongong.

The Waratahs have suffered a 51-14 loss at the hands of the Chiefs on Friday night.

What are we talking about after that Wollongong clash?

1. Patchy efforts simply not enough from Waratahs.

The Waratahs weren’t as quick out of the blocks in Wollongong as they were last week but they certainly had similar issues in the second half to those they faced against the Lions.

Coming into the break the Waratahs were clinging to a one-point lead but within three minutes the Chiefs were back on top and by the 53rd minute they were in the biggest hole of the match.

Some Chiefs scores came from the Waikato side's skillset, some came from Waratahs errors and others came from basic lapses in the NSW defence.

What is clear, though, is that they have to ensure they don't switch off at any point or they risk a result like they have had in four out their five matches so far this year.

The Chiefs steamrolled their way to a record winning margin over the NSW side and clinched their first win in NSW since 2007 in the process.

Inconsistency is a pattern Waratahs fans have become familiar with in recent times and though there is leniency with young players, watching that game would have been hard.

2. Chiefs continue second-half run

Chiefs coach Warren Gatland said post-match there was no panic when they came into the half-time break trailing by a point and there’s a very good reason why the Chiefs are confident going into the second half.

The Chiefs came into the round having scored the most second-half points in the competition thus far and they extended that run with a six-try second half in Wollongong.

Three tries in 12 minutes allowed the Chiefs to really begin to dominate the game and they came home with a wet sail.

That pattern makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the competition.

3.  Waratahs allow opponents to find their way back

Probably one of the most frustrating elements of the Waratahs defeat will come out when looking at the statistics.

The Waratahs had more carries, beat more defenders than the Chiefs and had 60 per cent possession throughout the game.

The Chiefs, however, were able to pounce at the breakdown, winning 11 turnovers and also making the most of their chances.

It’s not that the Waratahs were starved of opportunities to attack, it’s just that they either coughed up the ball or the Chiefs were able to snatch it right back and punish them on counter-attack.

4. Weber shines for Chiefs

🤔 Benji or Shaun? #SuperRugby #WARvCHI

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Brad Weber doesn’t get many plaudits but the nippy halfback showed off his skills with a rapid fire double against the Waratahs.

In a field of halfbacks that would be envied by most countries, Weber has often sat behind Aaron Smith and TJ Perenara when it comes to Test selection.

In Super Rugby, though, he continues to get better and better. He is one of the quickest on the park and showed his finishing skill

5. Chiefs more than just “Gatland” ball

When Warren Gatland was appointed the Chiefs coach for 2020 and beyond, there were questions immediately raised about what it meant for the team’s style.

As Wales coach, Gatland had established a reputation for coaching a team with near impenetrable defence but not a whole lot else.

This Chiefs team is full of exciting talent, some of which wasn’t even on show in Wollongong on Friday night, and there is certainly no “Gatland ball” being played in Waikato.

There were offloads galore, most notable a superb behind the back pass from Solomon Alaimalo to set up Brad weber’s try, and scintillating attack across the park.

That’s not to say they don’t defend, but it’s clearly just one element of their approach. And it’s clearly working.

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