Match Details
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28 |
Sydney Football Stadium
Kick off times:
8:00pm
(Local) Sat 24 May
8:00pm
(AEST) Sat 24 May
|
13 |
|
The Waratahs have booked a place in the Super 14 Final with an emphatic 28-13 victory over the Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday night.
Two tries inside five minutes to start the second half sealed the deal for the hosts who produced their finest performance of the season when it mattered most.
To their credit the Sharks kept fighting but a late try to replacement hooker Craig Burden was not enough for the visitors.
Man-of-the-match Rocky Elsom revelled throughout in what was a physical affair, while skipper Phil Waugh marked his 100th appearance for New South Wales in style with a solid performance.
The Waratahs must now travel to Christchurch on Saturday night to take on the Crusaders, who earlier defeated the Hurricanes 33-22.
The Sharks showed their intentions in the third minute when flyhalf Ruan Pienaar opted for a drop goal to take the early 3-0 lead.
Having conceded the early score, the Waratahs set up camp in Sharks territory but their only reward was a Kurtley Beale penalty goal in the eighteenth minute.
Their dominance was finally rewarded when Lote Tuqiri swooped on a loose ball to post the first five-pointer of the contest - Beale made no mistake from close range to take a 10-3 lead.
A bone-jarring tackle from impressive teenager Rob Horne proved too much for former Springbok centre Adrian Jacobs and Tuqiri was never headed on his 30-metre dash to the line.
The Waratahs moved further ahead on the half-hour when Horne crossed out-wide on the back of an impressive build up.
Lock Dean Mumm found open space and was unlucky not to score out wide, but the Waratahs made no mistake from the very next phase as Sam Norton-Knight found Horne with a long cut-out pass to make it 15-3.
The Sharks posted the final points of the opening stanza as Francois Steyn made light work of long-range penalty goal to reduce the deficit to nine points at the interval.
The Waratahs all but put the contest beyond doubt just 59 seconds after the restart when Beale crossed to send his side two-converted tries ahead at 20-6.
With the Sharks defence stretched to their limits flanker Rocky Elsom delivered a well-timed-final pass to give Beale a clear run to the line.
Luke Burgess erased all doubt four minutes later with an opportunistic effort - Sharks No.8 Ryan Kankowski picked up the ball from the scrum base and attempted to link with Rory Kockott only to find the ever-alert Burgess who strolled over to take an unassailable 25-6 lead.
The Sharks scored a late consolation try when replacement hooker Burden barged over from close range eight minutes out from full-time.
But the damage was already done.
Waratahs 28
Tries: Tuqiri, Horne, Beale, Burgess,
Con: Beale
Pen: Beale
Drop Goal: Beale
Sharks 13
Tries: Burden
Con: Kockott
Pen: Steyn
Drop Goal: Pienaar
@Sydney Football Stadium; May 24 2008.
