It wasn't pretty in the second half but the Waratahs found a way to secure the hard-fought 22-17 victory over the Western Force.
The visitors through everything they had at the Waratahs but a strong defensive effort ultimately was the difference in the game as Darren Coleman's men earn a much-needed win.
So what did we learn?
1.Blue Wall
The Waratahs' defence stood up when it mattered, the catalyst for a crucial victory that could be so valuable at the end of the season.
Several second-half attacks from the Force were repelled by the hosts, who really showed a vastly improved goal-line defence from 2021.
Flanker Charlie Gamble was immense at the breakdown, twice earning key turnovers inside his 22 to keep them in the contest.
The 'never say die' attitude has become their DNA under Darren Coleman and it shone through in front of a strong crowd at Leichhardt Oval.
2. Stepping up
Scrumhalf Jack Grant was a late call-up for the hosts but more than made up for the big loss of Jake Gordon.
Grant provided solid service throughout the game and threw a lovely ball to Will Harrison for the second try of the game.
It’s almost fitting Leichhardt is the place the part-time fashion designer broke out in Super Rugby, the same ground where his dad James shined for Balmain.
Along with this, debutant Mahe Vailanu provided some much-needed energy in the second half and adds to the growing hooker depth after Dave Porecki’s late withdrawal.
3. Execution
Both sides will be cursing their lack of execution in key moments throughout the game, particularly the Force.
The Force found no issues getting into the Tahs half but failed to convert this into points, on several times turning down points for a rolling maul that was going nowhere.
This was typified in the 50th minute when Bayley Kuenzle's kick for touch from the halfway line went dead in-goal, once again releasing the pressure on the hosts.
Darren Coleman’s men were no better in the second half, with Donaldson almost replicating Kuenzle's effort a couple of minutes later.
If they want to match it with the likes of the Reds and Brumbies, both teams need to sharpen up this error
4. Front row battle
This game was really shaped by the rapid changes of momentum at scrum time.
Initially, it was the Force that got the ascendancy, earning a pair of penalties to control the start of the game.
However, the Waratahs managed to avoid a repeat of last week and flipped the script in the 28th minute, allowing Harrison to slot another three-pointer.
From here, it was all the hosts outside of one or two penalties, allowing them to stay in the contest and ultimately find a way to win.
5. No fear
Whilst you can question a number of the aspects of the Force game, you can't fault the courage shown by Bayley Kuenzle.
After a Issak Fines-Lelewaisa box kick landed in no man’s land, Kuenzle raced through and ended up in an ugly tumble after colliding with Will Harrison.
It's genuinely remarkable both men were able to quickly get to their feet and came away from the incident with no injury.
Only just returning from two concussions, the lack of fear shown by the inside centre is something you can only stop and admire.
