It was a heart-stopper for Waratahs fans, but the first game under Dan McKellar has resulted in victory.
The rust showed, but the class of the side shone through in replacement prop Siosifa Amone, twice crossing in the last 14 minutes for a 37-36 win.
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So what did we learn?
You would’ve got 1000-1 odds that Siosifa Amone would be the try-scoring hero for the Waratahs but the prop was just that.
The Force recruit scored twice in the final 15 minutes to put the Waratahs in front, including one with 30 seconds to go.
Amone has worked tirelessly in pre-season for the opportunity, dropping 24 kilograms in the off-season.
The added power came in handy at the end
The Waratahs still looked like a team coming together as a unit, even in victory
They lacked direction at times and coughed up the ball at the worst moments.
On top of this, they were punished countless times for going one out or failing to win the race to the breakdown.
However, the Waratahs fought their hearts out in the final ten minutes to secure the win.
In the end, that’s all that matters, as Dan McKellar’s side builds heading to the bye.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s debut was a mixed one as the Waratah found his feet late in the game
He won a bomb back with his first touch but dropped two more, with one leading to a counter-attack try.
His poise to pass back inside to Joey Walton was great, eventually leading to the second yellow card.
But it was his effort in the 62nd minute that was the standout. Suaalii beat two defenders and raced away, pulled down short to set up Max Jorgensen’s try.
The concern is how he limped off the field, replaced after 65 minutes after coming off gingerly from the tackle, but McKellar was adamant it was simply cramp
The heroics will go to Taniela Tupou’s replacement but the Wallaby deserves the love for his performance.
Although he has faced criticism for not exceeding 50 minutes of playtime, he recorded his highest playtime since the 2023 World Cup.
What will delight Waratahs fans is his impact in the 50-55 minute mark, winning a scrum penalty and what should’ve been a turnover after setting up Rob Leota in the first half.
Leota was great but the pick of the backrowers was Langi Gleeson, as he gave the Waratahs a serious punch in their pack
The Waratahs said before the game that they would target the aerial game, and it hurt them at stages.
They were over-reliant on Suaalii or Kellaway winning the ball back, and when they didn’t or couldn’t cleanly, they got burnt on the counter.
Caleb Tangitau punished them at the start, and then the Highlanders flipped the field just after the first quarter to strike in one of few entries into the Waratahs' 22 in the first half.
They need to find that balance in future weeks, especially with the talent they have to beat players on the outside.
