Jake Gordon scored a brace as the Waratahs hammered the Sunwolves 50-29 in Tokyo on Saturday. MARIETTE ADAMS reports.
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson will be pleased that his team collected maximum log points, especially after the opening 15 minutes in which the Sunwolves put the visitors under immense pressure.
There was no lack of action as the contest produced 11 tries, with seven coming in the first half. That said, the ease at which most of the tries were scored once again exposed the Sunwolves’ and Waratahs’ porous defence.
The Sunwolves started well, retaining possession and playing in the right areas. But one mistake, at a lineout, was all the Waratahs needed to pounce. Wing Taqele Naiyaravoro went on a run down the touchline and swatted away three tacklers before popping the ball inside to Bernard Foley, who freed up Gordon for the try.
Centre Michael Little crossed the line soon after to level matters and give the hosts a glimmer of hope, but the game slipped from their grasp as the Waratahs added another 31 points, including a second try from Gordon, for a 38-17 advantage at the break.
Remarkably, it was Sunwolves who were all action in the second half with the Waratahs showing clear signs of fatigue.
Captain Michael Hooper drove over the tryline from the back of a maul, but the Sunwolves – thanks in part to a dominant scrum – outplayed the Australian side.
Wing Semisi Masirewa scored a wonderful try and when Hooper was shown yellow for a cynical infringement on the tryline, No 8 Kazuki Himeno dotted down under the posts to get the Sunwolves to within 14 points in the 64th minute.
However, inexcusable defence from the Sunwolves saw Naiyaravoro attack down the left flank again, only this time he scored himself to finish off the contest.
Sunwolves – Tries: Michael Little, Sam Wykes, Semisi Masirewa, Kazuki Himeno. Conversion: Yu Tamura (3). Penalty: Tamura.
Waratahs – Tries: Jake Gordon (2), Curtis Rona, Will Miller, Bryce Hegarty, Michael Hooper, Taqele Naiyaravoro. Conversions: Bernard Foley (6). Penalty: Foley.
Sunwolves – 15 Kotaro Matsushima, 14 Lomano Lemeki, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Semisi Masirewa, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yutaka Nagare, 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Craig Millar.
Subs:16 Jaba Bregvadse, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Edward Quirk, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Hayden Parker, 23 Hosea Saumaki.
Waratahs – 15 Bryce Hegarty, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Will Miller, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Ned Hanigan, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Tom Robertson
Subs: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Jed Holloway, 21 Mitchell Short, 22 Lalakai Foketi, 23 Cameron Clark.
Photo: Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images
