Blues beat Waratahs 35-20 after second-half surge
Beauden Barrett was part of the winning Blues side
©PA
Waratahs 20-35 Blues, Allianz Stadium
The NSW Waratahs were left to rue a long list of missed first-half chances as the Blues stormed back for a 35-20 Super Rugby Pacific win at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
The home side led by 12 points early in the second half and looked on course for an important victory, but the Blues responded with 27 unanswered points to turn the match around and leave the Waratahs with a third straight defeat.
It was a frustrating night for the hosts, who created enough pressure and territory in the first half to build a much bigger lead. Instead, handling errors, missed final passes and strong Blues scrambling defence kept the visitors within reach before the match swung decisively after the break.
Blues Strike Early But Waratahs Build Pressure
The Blues made the perfect start when scrum-half Finlay Christie crossed in just the second minute. That early score could have unsettled the Waratahs, but the home side responded well and spent long stretches of the first half attacking deep inside Blues territory.
The visitors then had to survive a difficult period after number eight Malachi Wrampling-Alec was shown a yellow card for a high shot on Ethan Dobbins.
Even with the extra man, the Waratahs could not fully capitalise. Sid Harvey got them on the board with a penalty after Jake Gordon was held up over the line, and further chances went begging as Harry Potter and Jack Debreczeni both came close.
The Waratahs finally turned pressure into points when Debreczeni crossed in the 32nd minute, and they added another just before halftime when prop Tom Lambert forced his way over. That gave New South Wales a deserved 17-8 lead at the break.
Waratahs Lead Slips Away
Harvey added an early second-half penalty to stretch the lead to 20-8, but that proved to be the last scoring act for the Waratahs. From that point the Blues lifted their tempo, held onto possession far better and began to punish tired defence.
Codemeru Vai crossed first to cut the deficit, and the momentum kept building for the visitors. AJ Lam then struck twice as the Blues found space out wide and turned pressure into points with far greater accuracy than they had in the opening half.
The Waratahs, by contrast, could not recover their earlier rhythm. Their attack became more disconnected, and the Blues controlled the contest with better composure in the final half hour.
Blues Finish Strong In Sydney
With the Waratahs chasing the game, the Blues stayed clinical. Torian Barnes added a late try to complete the comeback and secure a 35-20 bonus-point victory.
Team line up:
Waratahs: 15 Sid Harvey, 14 Harry Potter, 13 Triston Reilly, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Max Jorgensen, 10 Jack Debreczeni, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Pete Samu, 7 Jamie Adamson, 6 Clem Halaholo, 5 Miles Amatosero, 4 Matt Philip (captain), 3 Daniel Botha, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 1 Tom Lambert
Reserves: 16 Ioane Moananu, 17 Isaac Kailea, 18 Siosifa Amone, 19 Angus Blyth, 20 Leafi Talataina, 21 Teddy Wilson, 22 Lawson Creighton, 23 George Poolman
Blues: 15 Zarn Sullivan, 14 Codemeru Vai, 13 AJ Lam, 12 Pita Ahki, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Malachi Wrampling, 7 Dalton Papali’i (captain), 6 Anton Segner, 5 Sam Darry, 4 Josh Beehre, 3 Sam Matenga, 2 Bradley Slater, 1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
Reserves: 16 James Mullan, 17 Mason Tupaea, 18 Marcel Renata, 19 Che Clark, 20 Torian Barnes, 21 Taufa Funaki, 22 Xavi Taele, 23 Payton Spencer
