Waratahs denied in classic

Updated May 27, 2012 06:49:20

The Waratahs victory gave up a 13-point advantage to lose in heartbreaking fashion to the Central Cheetahs 35-34 on Sunday (AEST).

Willie Le Roux's brilliant 57th-minute try, which quickly followed a try by prop WP Nel, came after the Cheetahs attacked from the restart, replacement fly half Sias Ebersohn chipping over the defence and Le Roux gathering and kicking again before reclaiming the ball and dashing over the try-line.

The Waratahs, who led 34-21 in the 48th minute after scoring four tries in the first half, can look back on a disappointing second half and their failure to convert two late chances to claim victory.

Fly half Berrick Barnes was short with an angled 55-metre penalty in the 76th minute and, as regular time came to an end, they had a maul inside the Cheetahs 22 but they could not get the ball out to Barnes for a drop goal after great work by Cheetahs loose forwards Ashley Johnson and Heinrich Brussow.

The Waratahs took advantage of 18 missed tackles in the first half and particularly poor defence around the fringes to rush to the four-try bonus point in 33 minutes.

Flanker Dave Dennis scored the first try in the fourth minute when he pounced on a loose ball behind the try-line and he set up the second for lock Sitaleki Timani.

The Cheetahs drew level at 14-14 with two tries in four minutes, the first coming from a wonderfully-worked move off a lineout finished off by scrumhalf Piet van Zyl.

Le Roux's brilliant attacking running then started and finished a move in the 19th minute with fly half Riaan Smit's second successful conversion tying the scores.

The Waratahs edged ahead again in the 22nd minute when Brendan McKibbin kicked a penalty after the Cheetahs took him out at a ruck, but soon afterwards his pass was intercepted by hooker Adriaan Strauss and the Cheetahs captain ran in a try from halfway.

The Waratahs scored twice late in the first half, winger Drew Mitchell showing great skill to keep a kick in play and centre Rob Horne finishing the move off with a 45-metre run to the tryline and Timani scored his second try after good work by fullback Bernard Foley and number 8 Wycliff Palu.

Nel went low and hard to score for the Free Staters in the 54th minute before Le Roux floored the Waratahs with another moment of brilliance.His moment of inspiration earned the Cheetahs their fifth win of the season, the most they have achieved in a Super Rugby campaign.

Cheetahs 35 - Tries: W le Roux 2, P van Zyl, A Strauss, WP Nel. Cons: R Smit 4, S Ebersohn.

Waratahs 34 - Tries: S Timani 2, D Dennis, R Horne. Conversions: B McKibbin (4). Penalties: McKibbin 2.

Reuters

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-rugby, nsw

First posted May 27, 2012 06:36:27

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Wales edges Ireland in Six Nations classic

Updated February 06, 2012 07:52:50

Leigh Halfpenny's last-minute penalty gave Wales a 23-21 win over Ireland in an enthralling Six Nations see-saw battle as the hosts failed to avenge last year's World Cup quarter-final defeat.

Wales, missing several first-team players, was well on top in the early exchanges of its championship opener.

Ryan Jones was denied a try by the video referee before Jonathan Davies was adjudged to have got the ball down after a superb off-load by Rhys Priestland, who struck the post with the conversion and a penalty.

Ireland, without the injured Brian O'Driscoll, hit back with a Rory Best try after a great Tommy Bowe dummy just before half-time only for Davies to grab his second after the break as Wales led.

Bowe put the Irish clear with his own try on 68 minutes but George North went over for Wales late on to move within a point.

Stephen Ferris then joined Bradley Davies in the sin bin as both were punished for dangerous tackles and Halfpenny slotted the penalty through the posts for a dramatic victory.

"That was the hardest kick I've had to kick in my life," Halfpenny told the BBC.

Ferris's offence was an arguable yellow card while Wales' Davies could easily have seen red for his spear tackle.

"We obviously put ourselves in a great position to win it," Ireland captain Paul O'Connell said.

"There was a bit of work left to be done and we didn't do it."

Wales missed two of three conversion attempts and two of four penalties.

"We got out of jail and won our first game away from home," said coach Warren Gatland, who acknowledged Davies could have been sent off.

"We have to see if we can get that confidence and self belief and be accurate and do the simple things well...I think we can do really well in this championship," he added.

"When we get it right we are going to be good."

Wales faces Scotland in Cardiff next weekend before travelling to Twickenham for a possible triple crown showdown with England.

"We have to improve a bit by next week. We don't think we were anywhere near the best we could have played," Wales captain Sam Warburton, who was taken off at half-time with a dead leg, told reporters.

"The next two games we have are a real test for us."

Ireland, which had hoped to avenge its dismantling by Wales in New Zealand in October, was left to pick up the pieces after the national team again failed to match the dominance its provincial teams have shown in Europe.

"We conceded a lot of momentum in the first half and gave them a lot of belief. We probably didn't defend with our heads up," added O'Connell, whose Munster team is one of three Irish sides in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

"You can't give a team that kind of time with ball in hand, it puts you under a lot of pressure."

After a disappointing World Cup, Ireland is running out of opportunities for silverware before the expected retirement of their 'Golden Generation' of players - fly half Ronan O'Gara, second row O'Connell and centre Brian O'Driscoll -- in the coming years.

Coach Declan Kidney, who picked Jonathan Sexton ahead of O'Gara, vowed to bounce back against France in Paris next Saturday and challenge for the championship.

"I think we're a lot better than that," Kidney said. "We have buckets to work on and six days to do it.

"There is a championship still to be won and that's what we'll work towards," he said.

Reuters

Tags: rugby-union, sport, wales, united-kingdom, ireland

First posted February 06, 2012 07:16:20

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Classic Cartoon Favorites, Vol. 5 - Extreme Sports Fun

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