Waratahs deliver timely confidence boost for Australian rugby

The date 30 April 2022 will live in renown, not just for the NSW Waratahs, but more broadly for Australian rugby and the Super Rugby Pacific competition as a whole. The Waratahs upset the Crusaders 24-21 at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday afternoon to confirm the resurgence of the men in sky blue under new coach Darren Coleman.

There has been a marked improvement in the Waratahs’ play this season, but no one saw that stunning result coming. NSW were rank outsiders, but that was not apparent as they took on the most successful team in the history of Super Rugby without the slightest hint of trepidation.

The Crusaders were without their rested maestro, All Blacks five-eighth Richie Mo’unga, but they still had more than enough talent and experience to beat the Waratahs, who are in a rebuilding phase, and the result served as a huge confidence booster.

A day later, the Brumbies followed the Waratahs with a convincing 42-25 win against the Hurricanes at GIO Stadium. Having won four of their last six matches against New Zealand opposition in Canberra, they were expected to beat the Hurricanes, although perhaps not by the eventual 17-point margin . The Brumbies were too efficient and well-structured for a dangerous, but ill-disciplined, Hurricanes outfit.

Australian teams won 50% of their fixtures with New Zealand opposition over the weekend, which is something of an achievement these days. Without star five-eighth James O’Connor, the Reds just fell short, 27-25, against the Chiefs in Brisbane on Saturday night, while the Western Force surprisingly pushed the Blues 22-18 in Perth on Friday.

It would be premature to suggest the trans-Tasman gap has closed, but it certainly appears to be narrowing. With the Brumbies’ 28-17 win