Moana clash bigger challenge than Crusaders for Waratahs coach

SYDNEY : The New South Wales Waratahs stunned the rugby world by beating the Canterbury Crusaders last weekend but coach Darren Coleman thinks Saturday's clash with Super Rugby new boys Moana Pasifika will be a greater challenge.

Coleman has transformed the fortunes of Australia's best resourced state side since he arrived at the end of last year, taking a team that was winless over 13 games last season to six victories in 10 matches so far this campaign.

The apogee was last Saturday's emotional victory over the 12-times Super Rugby champion Crusaders in front of a bumper crowd at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney.

With success comes expectation, however, and Coleman thinks preparing his team to face Moana Pasifika in Auckland will be a greater test of his skills as a motivator.

"Are we expected to win? I don't know. Probably wouldn't have been six weeks ago," he told reporters on Thursday.

"I reckon this is a bigger challenge. The emotional get up for the Crusaders was pretty easy.

"I've got to come up with some tricks between now and then to get our boys emotionally engaged in this."

After benefiting from the support of the crowd last weekend, Coleman said it would be important to take it out of the equation on Saturday.

"It will be a big crowd of Pasifika fans at Mount Smart Stadium and we need to keep them quiet," Coleman said.

"And the way we keep them quiet is by keeping Moana a long way away from our try line. The closer they get to try line, the harder they run. So we've got to play good field position and keep the emotional energy away from them."

They will have to do it without Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, who is going through concussion protocols after taking a knock against the Crusaders.

The win over the Crusaders