ozbash
Referee
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Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie did not look as though he had just taken the New South Wales franchise into their first ever Super 12 final in Sydney late Saturday night. The assignment in less than a week probably had a lot to do with that.
McKenzie, facing the media after his Waratahs had seen off the Bulls 23-13 in a messy second semifinal, was not exactly gushing excitement about the prospect of a first ever final in this the last year of Super 12 rugby as we know it. In fact he looked a rifle edgy.
But then again his team does face the Crusaders in Christchurch next Saturday night. The same Crusaders who won their semifinal 47-7, six tries to one, in pretty much the opposite fashion in which McKenzie's own Tahs had scrambled their way to victory over a combative but largely ineffective Bulls side.
Also the same Crusaders side who have rather made an art form out of playing post-season football in the decade of Super 12 football. There have been 10 finals in that time - the Crusaders have now played in seven of them. They are seeking an almost unholy fifth title.
The Waratahs, conversely, qualified for their first tilt at the silverware courtesy of a strong defensive display and a fairly disciplined effort all round against a Bulls side that played like Superman might have if he'd just flown in to Planet Kryptonite.
Suddenly, the superhuman powers that had yielded six straight wins back in the republic deserted the South Africans. Having said that the Tahs scrambled early, hung tough and did all they had to do to secure safe passage to what is uncharted territory. They won, and that really was the only thing that mattered.
But, still, why did McKenzie look so worried afterwards? And, get this. He claims he only watched "five minutes" of the Crusaders' semi. Just wait till he takes in the full 80. It could age him 10 years.
The Crusaders really did play as well as the Tahs did shakily. McKenzie will by now have probably seen this for himself. It will only have heightened the extent of the task.
But he will console himself with a few things; if not the fact that they lost to the red and blacks at home earlier this campaign. The Tahs have knocked over the Cantabs four times in 10 clashes, which is better than pretty much everybody, and just last year did go over there and run away 43-19 at the so-called Fortress Jade.
McKenzie, no doubt, will be doing everything to make sure 2002's 96-19 Crusaders whipping of the semifinal-bound Tahs remains nothing more than a footnote for next Saturday's big final involving what has been essentially the two best teams in the competition.
"We'll have to improve in a lot of areas," was McKenzie's summation straight after the match. He admitted he'd watched just the "five minutes" thus far of the virtuoso Crusaders performance.
"I was pretty unhappy with a lot of points of the game," he added, returning to the 80 he'd just viewed. "In the end we got away with it, we came from behind and that's the pleasing part of it.
"It's been a year of firsts for us - and you just never know," added the former front-rower, with just the hint of a quizzical look. He's well aware his men will have to lift their game several notches to keep the run of firsts going.
Waratahs skipper Chris Whitaker admitted it "wasn't pretty" but said he had been rapt with the way the defence "held up pretty well".
Still, you couldn't help but strike the observation that if the Tahs cough up as much ball as they did in this match, they'll be picked apart by the predatory Crusaders who look to have hit peak form just at the right time.
Veteran Tahs hooker Brendan Cannon (Perth-bound), who along with midfielder Natahan Grey (Japan) bade farewell to the Sydney faithful, had to admit that his team were in bonus territory now as they travelled to the well-performed Kiwis.
"The Crusaders have been the benchmark in this competition, not just this year but in the whole history.
"But we're in it. It's 50-50, with the two big guns battling it out in the final. We're in with an even chance of winning it."
Any dispassionate rugby pundit who viewed the two semifinals, then looked at the pedigree and record book of the two finalists, might beg to differ.
For all the Waratahs' well-deserved joy at making their first Super 12 final, it's hard to shake the feeling that a fairly large dose of reality awaits them in Christchurch next Saturday night.
McKenzie, facing the media after his Waratahs had seen off the Bulls 23-13 in a messy second semifinal, was not exactly gushing excitement about the prospect of a first ever final in this the last year of Super 12 rugby as we know it. In fact he looked a rifle edgy.
But then again his team does face the Crusaders in Christchurch next Saturday night. The same Crusaders who won their semifinal 47-7, six tries to one, in pretty much the opposite fashion in which McKenzie's own Tahs had scrambled their way to victory over a combative but largely ineffective Bulls side.
Also the same Crusaders side who have rather made an art form out of playing post-season football in the decade of Super 12 football. There have been 10 finals in that time - the Crusaders have now played in seven of them. They are seeking an almost unholy fifth title.
The Waratahs, conversely, qualified for their first tilt at the silverware courtesy of a strong defensive display and a fairly disciplined effort all round against a Bulls side that played like Superman might have if he'd just flown in to Planet Kryptonite.
Suddenly, the superhuman powers that had yielded six straight wins back in the republic deserted the South Africans. Having said that the Tahs scrambled early, hung tough and did all they had to do to secure safe passage to what is uncharted territory. They won, and that really was the only thing that mattered.
But, still, why did McKenzie look so worried afterwards? And, get this. He claims he only watched "five minutes" of the Crusaders' semi. Just wait till he takes in the full 80. It could age him 10 years.
The Crusaders really did play as well as the Tahs did shakily. McKenzie will by now have probably seen this for himself. It will only have heightened the extent of the task.
But he will console himself with a few things; if not the fact that they lost to the red and blacks at home earlier this campaign. The Tahs have knocked over the Cantabs four times in 10 clashes, which is better than pretty much everybody, and just last year did go over there and run away 43-19 at the so-called Fortress Jade.
McKenzie, no doubt, will be doing everything to make sure 2002's 96-19 Crusaders whipping of the semifinal-bound Tahs remains nothing more than a footnote for next Saturday's big final involving what has been essentially the two best teams in the competition.
"We'll have to improve in a lot of areas," was McKenzie's summation straight after the match. He admitted he'd watched just the "five minutes" thus far of the virtuoso Crusaders performance.
"I was pretty unhappy with a lot of points of the game," he added, returning to the 80 he'd just viewed. "In the end we got away with it, we came from behind and that's the pleasing part of it.
"It's been a year of firsts for us - and you just never know," added the former front-rower, with just the hint of a quizzical look. He's well aware his men will have to lift their game several notches to keep the run of firsts going.
Waratahs skipper Chris Whitaker admitted it "wasn't pretty" but said he had been rapt with the way the defence "held up pretty well".
Still, you couldn't help but strike the observation that if the Tahs cough up as much ball as they did in this match, they'll be picked apart by the predatory Crusaders who look to have hit peak form just at the right time.
Veteran Tahs hooker Brendan Cannon (Perth-bound), who along with midfielder Natahan Grey (Japan) bade farewell to the Sydney faithful, had to admit that his team were in bonus territory now as they travelled to the well-performed Kiwis.
"The Crusaders have been the benchmark in this competition, not just this year but in the whole history.
"But we're in it. It's 50-50, with the two big guns battling it out in the final. We're in with an even chance of winning it."
Any dispassionate rugby pundit who viewed the two semifinals, then looked at the pedigree and record book of the two finalists, might beg to differ.
For all the Waratahs' well-deserved joy at making their first Super 12 final, it's hard to shake the feeling that a fairly large dose of reality awaits them in Christchurch next Saturday night.
.
