The NSW Waratahs have revived their Super Rugby title defence with a stirring 28-13 win over the Brumbies at Allianz Stadium.
Superstar fullback Israel Folau broke his four-game tryscoring drought and also laid on NSW’s two other five-pointers for five-eighth Bernard Foley and hooker Tolu Latu as the Waratahs overcame their Australian conference rivals in a bruising derby.
The much-needed victory lifted the Waratahs to eighth on the table, one point adrift of the top six with three wins from five outings, while the Brumbies dropped from outright competition leaders to second position ahead of their bye next weekend.
With potential Wallabies spots on the line, as well as the all-important competition points, there was plenty of feeling and niggle in the blockbuster showdown.
In the end, though, it was the Waratahs who won the physicality stakes to take the points after fighting back from a worrying start.
Unlike last year, the Waratahs’ defence has been unusually vulnerable this campaign, the champions conceding three four-try bonus points in their first four games.
It took the Brumbies just two minutes to breach their defence, with five-eighth Matt Toomua slicing through Michael Hooper and Rob Horne and escaping Folau’s clutches to post the first try of the game.
Referee Craig Joubert had his work cut out keeping a lid on proceedings in the high-stakes encounter and issued Brumbies lock Scott Fardy with a yellow card after his cynical knock-on denied the Waratahs a try from a Foley long ball.
Instead, two Foley penalty goals narrowed the Brumbies’ early lead to a point before Christian Lealiifano replied with two penalties of his own to make it 13-6 to the visitors after 23 minutes.
But a long-range converted try to Foley, after Folau shook off Kuridrani, tied the game up before Folau’s first try in nine matches for the Tahs gave the titleholders the lead for the first time after 32 minutes.
The competition’s leading tryscorer in 2014, Folau handled twice in the movement, once again showing his permanent transition to the centres may not be too far away.
A 48-metre penalty goal from Kurtley Beale in the 47th minute gave the Waratahs a 10-point buffer and Folau sealed the deal when he put Latu over seven minutes from fulltime.
Champion Brumbies flanker David Pocock made a successful comeback from five weeks out with ankle syndesmosis after being thrown into the fray early in the second half, but his return may have been offset by a potentially serious injury to Kuridrani.
The Wallabies centre left the field in the 67th minute with an apparent shoulder problem.
