New South Wales emerged from a ”difficult week” and made light of the absence of controversial lock Justin Harrison with a 25-10 win over the Stormers at Aussie Stadium on Saturday.
The Super 12-leading Waratahs made it four wins from as many starts, though they failed to pick up a bonus point for the first time this season.
A committed defensive effort enabled them to nullify a near Test-strength backline.
Even though New South Wales were without lineout ace Harrison, who voluntarily stood down from the match after admitting to racially abusing Cats winger Chumani Booi last weekend, the Waratahs destroyed the Stormers in that facet of the game.
New South Wales comfortably won their own throws and pinched eight of the Stormers’ as they scored three tries to one.
”It’s been a difficult week but I like to think we managed to separate the issues that happened during the week and what we needed to do to prepare for the game … I think we managed to do that pretty well,” New South Wales coach Ewen McKenzie said.
He praised the barnstorming display by New South Wales centre Nathan Grey, who shone at the end of a turbulent week during which he was initially accused of the racial sledge that Harrison later claimed.
”He [Grey] showed great character. If anyone had a reason to be distracted, it might have been him,” McKenzie said.
”We didn’t really dwell on it or talk about it. There was nothing prior to the game about ‘now, let’s do it for Justin’, there was just a resolve among the team.
”It was critical for us to be able to put some pressure on the Stormers and it was nice to do that at the set-piece and the backrow did an excellent job at the tackle, so we were able to put them under significant pressure and then defended well.
”I know there’s certain sections out there that are waiting for us to drop off. We are probably enjoying the challenge of making sure we don’t.”
McKenzie said the Waratahs still haven’t been seen at their best and are yet to produce a full 80-minute performance.
Grey and centre partner Morgan Turinui, who scored two tries, outshone the Stormers’ Springbok pairing of De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert.
Likewise, the man of the match, flanker Phil Waugh, outshone South African Test star Schalk Burger at the battle of the breakdown.
Turinui zipped between Barry and Joubert for the only try of the first half, which ended with the Waratahs holding an 8-3 advantage.
Quick-thinking Waugh added the second try in the 55th minute when he took a tap penalty and barged over the line.
Turinui rounded off a slick team move in the 65th minute to score his fifth try of the campaign.
The Stormers’ only try was scored by their captain, halfback Neil de Kock, in the final minute.
Stormers coach Gert Smal expressed no surprise at the Waratahs’ level of performance being unaffected by the off-field turmoil during the week.
”Normally when a team gets into a situation like that, it just brings them closer,” Smal said.
He was frustrated by his team’s inability to retain possession and the shortcomings of their first line of defence.
”They [New South Wales] are one of the best [lineout] competing sides, but also at stages the [Stormers] players said there was a numbers problem being allowed against us,” Smal said.
He said the Waratahs are a more rounded and dangerous side at present than the defending champion Brumbies, who shaded his team by two points last week.
A jarred ankle for Waugh was the Waratahs’ only injury problem. — Sapa