Last week's most talked about match was that of the Waratahs against the Sharks. The Waratahs won but they were far from impressive.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off.
1.00: The match is underway. Almost from the kick off a Lions player knocks on so the Waratahs get a scrum.
4.00: The Waratahs come close to scoring as Tom Carter gets to within 5m after a break but the Lions winger stops him just in time.
5.00: The Waratahs keep the pressure up in the Lions 25. Drew Mitchell goes for a quick tap after a penalty and scores the first try.
6.00: Berrick Barnes nails the conversion in front of a stadium that is far from full after last week's display.
8.00: Uh Oh. Drew Mitchell fumbles the ball behind their line and Tonderai Chavhanga pounces on the ball and after checking upstairs the try is awarded. Earl Rose sent the grubber through.
9.00: Earl Rose takes the conversion and misses.
10.00: Carlos Spencer goes for a grubber kick but the ball goes from his foot straight into Dean Mumm's hands and he darts off to score the try after a 40m run. Wow 10 minutes three tries.
11.00: Berrick Barnes adds the conversion.
15.00: The Lions give away a penalty so the Waratahs kick for touch when they could have gone for posts.
They win the line and put together four phases. Mumm makes a break and passes to Tatafu Polota-Nau. They recycle again and Tom Carter darts for the line and scores the try with two tacklers on him.
18.00: Berrick Barnes nails the conversion from out wide.
19.00; The Lions use the high ball and as the ball comes down Halangahu fumbles and then another Waratah and then another fumbles again until Barnes regathers. Awful ball handling skills.
22.00: The Lions go on attack in the Waratahs 25. A poor pass goes in and the Waratahs turn it over. They boot downfield and Rose regathers and tries to counter attack.
23.00: After Rose's kick there is some aerail ping-pong until Drew Mitchell's pass goes out. Phil Waugh and odd Clever compare their hand-bags but the referee stops it.
25.00: Drew Mitchell makes a break and he passes to Turner but two tacklers take him out and the Waratahs miss an opportunity for another try.
26.00: Luke Burgess comes back on after a blood bin but his ear is still bleeding so he goes back off.
28.00: The Lions win a penalty from their scrum just outside their 25. They boot the ball well downfield and Turner sends it way back and finds touch.
29.00: The Lions enjoy some good phase play until Tatafu Polota-Nau steals the ball. The Waratahs send the ball upfield as Palu flattens Rose. They kick up with a grubber and Tonderai Chavhanga fumbles the ball alowing Lachie Turner to re-gather and score the bonus point try.
32.00 :Barnes' conversion curls out and misses.
34.00: The Lions work the ball downfield and up to the line and drive over the line but can't get it down.
36.00: The Lions keep up the pressure. They go again at the line. Waratahs desperate in defence and give away a penalty. Dave Dennis gets a warning for not coming through the gate. The Lions take the quick tap and drive for the line. Somehow the Lions lose the ball and the Waratahs clear.
36.00: The Lions get a warning for obstruction and the Waratahs get a penalty. They go quickly after a line out and Drew Mitchell blasts through and scores the Tahs fifth try.
38.00: Berrick Barnes adds the conversion.
40.00: The siren sounds for half time. It is half time.
The half time score was Waratas 33 Lions 5
The second half is underway.
40.05:Carlos Spencer appears to have been subbed for Burton Francis.
43.00: The Lions work the ball to within 8m of the line through 17 phases but as they get somewhere they knock on.
45.00: The Lions step up the pace a little but Jano Vermaak grabs for the ball and knocks on.
47.00: There is a break in play as Todd Clever gets some attention.
49.00: The Lions put the Waratahs under some pressure and they fumble the ball from left to right. Some of the handling has been extraordinary.
50.00: The Waratahs get some quick ball and they have an overlap of two players but the pass goes behind them. They reform and try to go again. The Waratahs (Barnes) kick across field and Wycliff Palu scores the easiest of tries as he takes the ball and falls on it.
52.00: Berrick Barnes misses the conversion.
54.00: The Waratahs are still looking to score tries as they swing the ball through the backline. Dean Mumm pops through the defence and as they progress forward the Lions give away a penalty for offside.
55.00: The Tahs go quickly but the Lions turn it over.
56.00: The Lions enjoy their best attacking phase. As the Lions get to the 25m line on the 16th phase, the Tahs get the ball and Mumm passes to Drew Mitchell unmarked and he races off to score his hat-trick try.
58.00: Barnes adds the conversion.
64.00: Well, well, well. The Waratahs open up the Lions again and Dave Dennis breaks, he gets caught but Burgess sends out a pass to ......yes that man Mitchell who runs 15m and scores his fourth try!
64.00: Berrick Barnes adds the conversion.
66.00: The Lions are fighting back and Walter Venter comes close to scoring at the posts. The Lions recycle and they go again but this time we have to go upstairs. It's held up.
68.00: The Lions go again at the line. This time JC Janse van Rensburg drives over and scores !
69.00: Earl Rose nails the conversion.
70.00: Either the Lions are finding a way to breach the Waratahs defence or the Waratahs have relaxed their defence.
71.00: Rob Horne gets a warning for lifting in the tackle but as there was no "spear" he does not get shown a card.
72.00: Lions get some good field position in the Waratahs 25. The Waratahs however turn the ball over and three dart off and run 80 metres and Josh Holmes scores. Replays show that Turner had a foot in touch but the touch judge misses it - and he is RIGHT there. The try is awarded nevertheless.
75.00: Barnes adds the conversion.
76.00: The Waratahs again open up the Lions and Josh Holmes finds space and he darts off to score his second in as many minutes. That's ten tries!
77.00: Barnes adds the conversion.
79.00: The Lions look to end on a high (if possible) and Doppies la Grange drives over the line. We go upstairs to see if he got the ball down. TMO says he is held up.
80.08: The hooter sounds as the Lions have an attacking scrum. The Waratahs keep them out though. The scrum gets reset. The Waratahs intercept and Lachie Turner darts off to score yet another try under the posts.
Barnes adds the conversion.
That's it, the Waratahs win.
The final score is Waratahs 73 Lions 12
Scorers
Waratahs
Tries - D Mitchell 4, D Mumm, T Carter , L Turner 2, W Palu, J Holmes 2
Pen -
Con - Berrick Barnes 7
Drop -
Cards -
Lions
Tries - Tonderai Chavhanga, JC Janse van Rensburg
Pen -
Con - E Rose
Drop -
Cards -
Match Officials
Referee: Vinny Munro (NZ)
Ass. refs: Ian Smith (Aus), James Leckie (Aus)
TMO: George Ayoub (Aus)
Teams
Waratahs - 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Tom Carter, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh (c), 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Reserves: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Ben Mowen, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Kurtley Beale, 22 Rob Horne.
Lions - 15 Earl Rose, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Walter Venter, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Wandile Mjekevu, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 Willem Stoltz, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Kevin Buys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Reserves: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Jacques Lombaard, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Wigan Pekeur.
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