Moana Pasifika gave the NSW Waratahs a major scare but their class shone through as the visitors came away with a 26-20 victory.
Once again, their defence held strong when it counted, securing the vital win to keep their once-unlikely hopes of a top-four finish still on track.
So what did we learn from the match?
1.Growth
This performance showcased the real difference between past Waratahs sides and Darren Coleman's men.
To find their way back into the match after trailing 17-0 showed the true marks of a classy team, with their Wallabies stepping up when needed.
Even facing wave after wave of Pasifika attacks with minutes to go, the visitors kept calm and waited for their chance to cause the mistake.
This game was always going to be a tough one to get up for given last week but to come away with the win, even after the slow start, will be as important for their confidence as the Crusaders victory
2. Perese power
Izaia Perese was the key reason the Waratahs got themselves back into the contest.
The centre took it upon himself to kick the visitors into gear with the first try of the game, running a great line to slice through the defence, before backing it up with a brutal break minutes later.
He also produced an incredible piece of play to set up Dylan Pietsch for the no try of the year, brought back for a foot in touch by a Pasifika player before the turnover.
Perese was supported perfectly by both wingers, with Mark Nawaqanitawase unstoppable in the second half whilst Pietsch pulled off a great try-saving tackle on Tima Fainga’anuku.
3. One of the GOATs
It was an emotional scene to witness Christian Leali'ifano become the first Pasifika player to bring up 1000 points mid-way through the second half.
Leali'ifano's story is incredible and to still see him delivering world-class performances is a joy to watch.
Couple this with watching his son deliver the tee for the milestone penalty and you'd be tough to find a dry eye watching or at the ground.
4. Caught out
Avoiding complacency was the theme of the week for the Waratahs and that seemed to be what they delivered in the first 20 minutes.
It was a reverse of last week’s triumphs with the much-fancied visitors out-enthused by Pasifika in the first 20 minutes as they stumbled to an early 17-point deficit.
It wasn’t a case of them missing tackles early, they just constantly got beat to the breakdown to allow easy turnovers early on as the likes of Time-Stowers and Funaki caused havoc.
If they wish to compete with the best, they can’t avoid further starts like this.
5. Taking the risk
Down 17-0 and with little momentum, you could’ve forgiven the Waratahs for taking the three right in front to just getting some points on the board.
But the decision to turn it down and opt for a scrum over a strong but patchy lineout proved genius when Perese dived over.
Whilst the points were crucial, it was the multiple scrum penalties that came along with it that might have been more valuable in breaking Moana’s stranglehold over the game.
New tighthead Archer Holz didn’t look out of place whilst Angus Bell was fired up and got the better of club legend Sekope Kepu across his near-80 minute performance.
It helped them seal the win at the end with a late penalty, even if they were fortunate to not concede one on their line with two minutes to go.
