The NSW Waratahs have lit up Allianz Stadium with a razzle dazzle comeback win over the high-flying Hurricanes to reignite their Super Rugby season.
In a point-a-minute thriller, the Waratahs recovered from 17 points down midway through the second half to rack up tries for a 39-30 bonus-point triumph over the New Zealand conference leaders.
A loss would have sent the Tahs crashing out of the top six but, instead, they leapfrogged above the Hurricanes into fourth spot and nudged to within two competition points of Australian conference leaders the Brumbies after preserving their unbeaten home record in 2014.
The match was in the balance at 24-24 before the Waratahs were rewarded for their attacking intent in the 55th minute when veteran winger Matt Carraro charged onto an inside ball from five-eighth Bernard Foley to score his first try in Super Rugby.
Two penalties from Hurricanes five-eighth Beauden Barrett kept the visitors in striking distance before replacement back-rower Stephen Hoiles crossed and Foley slotted a decisive penalty five minutes from fulltime to clinch victory.
Foley finished with a personal haul of 19 points as the Waratahs finally rediscovered their attacking mojo after netting just five tries in their previous five outings.
The two sides had gone to the break locked at 24-24 after producing a first-half tryfest.
Winger Rob Horne crossed in just the second minute for the Waratahs but some wild lineout throwing from Tatafu Polota-Nau soon had the home team under pressure and defending their line.
Prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen ran straight through Nick Phipps and Paddy Ryan to post the Hurricanes’ opening try in the 12th minute, with Barrett’s conversion and then a penalty goal putting the visitors ahead.
From the re-start, the Hurricanes went the length of the field but the Waratahs looked to have repelled the raid only for Wycliff Palu – in his first start in more than a month – spilling a risky in-goal pass from Israel Folau and allowing Barrett to swoop and score.
The Hurricanes were in again two minutes later through winger Julian Savea and suddenly the Waratahs were trailing 24-7.
But showing great composure, the Waratahs struck back with two tries in two minutes, skipper Dave Dennis wrestling his way over and then Foley scoring next to the posts.
Incredibly, the Waratahs would have led at the interval had Horne retrieved a lovely Foley grubber kick with the tryline beckoning.
Instead, a Foley penalty tied up the scores to set up an exciting second half.
