A third victory in a row for the Waratahs is surely forthcoming when they take on the Sunwolves in Super Rugby Round Eight on Saturday.
The Japanese outfit have once again struggled to compete with the best the southern hemisphere have to offer, going down to five successive defeats. While they have been competitive in two matches, most notably against the Lions, they simply don’t have the resources to challenge.
In Jamie Joseph they have an astute coach, someone who took the Highlanders to the title in 2015, but the New Zealander has yet to find the right formula. Mass changes have generally been the order of the day week in week out for the boss as he searches for a team that can do the job required, but he has yet to find it.
That disappointing run appears set to continue on Saturday with their opponents looking much improved this season after an awful 2017. In fact, should the ‘Tahs emerge triumphant in Tokyo this weekend then they would equal their tally of wins from the previous campaign.
Few would bet against either. At times the Sydney-based team have thrilled in attack, putting 34 points on the Sharks and 51 on league leaders Rebels, while they were better defensively at the Brumbies.
Daryl Gibson’s men have a good mix in the backline, with Taqele Naiyaravoro and Curtis Rona producing the power and Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale providing the dexterity, but they are also strong up front. Captain Michael Hooper has begun the year in excellent fashion at openside and the front-five is very solid.
It should therefore be a comfortable afternoon for the visitors. The Sunwolves’ defence has been shambolic and their form versus Australian Super Rugby sides is woeful, having failed to beat them in seven attempts.
In those matches, they have conceded an average of 43 points and Saturday may just see another thrashing, this time at the hands of the Waratahs.
The last time the teams met: It was another awful day for the Sunwolves with the Waratahs emerging 57-12 in Tokyo. The Japanese outfit have struggled since their inception into the competition but, at the time, this was their worst ever home defeat in Super Rugby. They started well enough and were only 14-12 in arrears after 35 minutes thanks to three Yu Tamura penalties and another from Riaan Viljoen, but the visitors pulled away. Matt Lucas and Jack Dempsey had already touched down when Israel Folau, Andrew Kellaway and Reece Robinson (twice) extended their buffer. Lucas then added his second before Matt Carraro and Taqele Naiyaravoro completed a dominant win.
Players to watch:
For Sunwolves: While the Japanese outfit play fast and loose, and duly look a threat in attack at times, they struggle to exert control on matches. Fly-half Yu Tamura has been a regular for the Sunwolves since they were brought into Super Rugby and they need the pivot to display that game-management if the team are to stand a chance of defeating the Waratahs on Saturday.
For Waratahs: With Israel Folau absent due to injury, the pressure will be on Alex Newsome to provide an attacking spark from the right wing. While much of the focus this week has been on Folau’s awful comments directed at gay people, rather than his hamstring issue, he is nevertheless a top quality player and Daryl Gibson will need Newsome to step up in his absence. The 23-year-old did an excellent job against the Brumbies, setting up Taqele Naiyaravoro for his second try, and facing the Sunwolves offers the back another great opportunity to continue that form.
Team news: Sunwolves head coach Jamie Joseph has once against made several changes to his side, with Kotaro Matsushima, Lomano Lemeki and Yutaka Nagare all coming into the backline.
They replace Ryuji Noguchi, Hosea Saumaki and Fumiaki Tanaka respectively, while Craig Millar and Jiwon Koo start at prop instead of Keita Inagaki and Hencus van Wyk.
James Moore and Sam Wykes form a new lock pairing while there’s also a completed altered back-row with Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Lappies Labuschagne and Kazuki Himeno replacing Michael Leitch, Ed Quirk and Willem Britz.
For the Waratahs, boss Daryl Gibson has brought in Will Miller onto the flank, replacing Michael Wells, who moved to number eight instead of Jed Holloway.
In the backs, Israel Folau’s injury means that Alex Newsome starts on the right wing after impressing off the bench against the Brumbies. Folau’s absence also allows Cameron Clark to return to the squad after being named among the replacements.
Gibson said: “Will’s selection gives us the opportunity to play two genuine fetchers because we expect the game to be played at a high intensity. He has been an excellent Shute Shield player and we believe that working in tandem with (Michael) Hooper will offer us something different. “I have been pleased with Alex’s progress. He has an outstanding attitude and this is an opportunity for him.”
Form: Following five straight defeats, it has once again been a poor start to the campaign for the Sunwolves, but they have been a difficult team to predict. Remarkably, the Japanese side came close to beating both the Brumbies (25-32) and last season’s finalists the Lions (38-40), but they have been thrashed in their other games against the Rebels (17-37), Sharks (22-50) and Chiefs (10-61). The Waratahs will therefore be confident going into this encounter, particularly after garnering successive victories by beating the Rebels 51-27 and the Brumbies 24-17. Altogether, the Sydney-based team have only succumbed once – a 28-38 loss to the Jaguares – after winning and drawing the other two matches versus the Stormers and Sharks respectively.
Prediction: The Australian outfit are beginning to hit their stride so it appears as though it will be another long afternoon for the Sunwolves. Waratahs by 20.
Previous result:
2016: Waratahs won 57-12 in Tokyo
The teams:
Sunwolves: 15 Kotaro Matsushima, 14 Semisi Masirewa, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Michael Little, 11 Lomano Lemeki, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yutaka Nagare (c), 8 Kazuki Himeno, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Yoshitaka Tokunaga, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 James Moore, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Craig Millar
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Keita Inagaki, 18 Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 19 Wimpie van der Walt, 20 Ed 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
Replacements: 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
Date: Saturday, April 7
Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 14:15 local (05:15 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Shuhei Kubol (Japan), Tasuku Kawahara (Japan)
TMO: Minoru Fuji (Japan)
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