When Darren Coleman was appointed coach back in June, he probably would have dreamt of a debut like this.
The Waratahs dominated the opening game of Super Rugby Pacific thanks to a brutal showing from their forward pack, cruising to the 40-10 victory over newcomers Fijian Drua.
Here's what we learnt from the opening game of the new competition:
- BELL BRILLIANCE
Angus Bell set out the goal at the start of the season to become Australia’s best loosehead. He wasn't far off it tonight.
Bell did a little bit of everything, setting up the first try with a strong run before throwing a perfect offload to Lalakai Foketi to start the second half and set the tempo.
He would score one of his own, running a line any centre would be proud off to seal the victory.
Combine that with a near-perfect scrummaging performance in his 57 minutes on the field and it was a dominant showing for the 21-year-old.
2. PUTTING IT TOGETHER
It’s always tough for a new side to come into Super Rugby and instantly compete. The Fijian Drua will take valuable lessons from this as they look to build their combinations following a sloppy showing.
They certainly showed they can match it throughout phases but time after time in the first half they failed to take their chances on the Waratahs line, which would have sent the Fiji-strong crowd wild.
This combined with several penalties in their own half allowed the Waratahs to dictate the play and by the team returned to 15 men after Jone Koroiduadua's yellow card, it was all over.
Coach Mick Byrne remarked after the game they got an early lesson in what to expect from Super Rugby and they need to wise up if they wish to cause a few upsets.
3. LAYING THE PLATFORM
The major improvement in this Waratahs side is certainly in the forward pack, who were dominant in every aspect.
The starters bullied the Drua at scrum time, earning multiple penalties. This continued into line-out time as they stole five, four in the first half, with two coming from their own line.
The returning Jed Holloway especially played a major impact on this game, causing havoc at lineout before throwing a lovely ball to Bell to cross for his try.
However, they will be concerned with the lack of impact from the bench, with their scrum falling away when Bell and Harry Johnson-Holmes left the field.
4. BLUE WALL
Whilst the 40 points in attack would please any coach, Coleman admitted after the game it was the defensive effort of the side that he was most proud of.
Despite being forced to make 51 more tackles than the Drua, the missed tackle count was nearly even as time after time they repelled attacks on their line.
Even towards the end, the replacements found a way to restrict the Fijians to just one try despite countless times the Drua found themselves over the line.
It marks a complete turnaround from Trans-Tasman last year, when scoring 48 points wasn't enough to defeat the Hurricanes, setting the platform for the season ahead.
5. POSITIVE INJECTION
Despite the disappointing result, the Fijian Drua showed enough on and off the field they will be a positive inclusion to Super Rugby Pacific.
Their pre-game Na Bole was the perfect way to start the new era of Super Rugby and their attacking style of Rugby will be incredible once the combinations gel.
They were accompanied by a strong supporter base at CommBank, which will hopefully follow them around the country, willing on every big hit and eventually getting rewarded when fittingly captain Nemani Nagusa dived over for their first try in Super Rugby history.
It makes when they get the chance to return home to Suva in round ten must-watch TV and hopefully by then, they'll have the confidence and polish to finish off some of their big plays.
