The Waratahs made their return to Allianz Stadium hoping to make it consecutive wins against New Zealand opposition for the first time since 2015.
They finished the 80 minutes as they did after their first home game a little more than 12 months ago: frustrated and disappointed.
Poor handling in the first half and a lacklustre second half, where the Waratahs were regularly beaten to the breakdown, stifled the home side and cruelled their hopes of sending the 13,553 fans home happy as the Highlanders poked their heads in front late.
Then a ray of light appeared, as Max Jorgensen atoned for a fumble near his line that resulted in a try by scoring one himself.
His five-pointer cut the margin to 23-21, before Tane Edmed’s conversion attempt went wide.
Needing a penalty to win the match, the Waratahs were given another opportunity to seal the deal, as Damon Murphy, who had been trigger happy at the breakdown all evening, gave the fans what they wanted by awarding the home side a penalty with time up.
But it wasn’t to be as Edmed’s penalty went across the face of goals, with the Highlanders holding on 23-21. It was the fly-half’s third missed shot at goals.
Tanielu Tele’a of the Highlanders celebrates his crucial try against the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium, on March 08, 2024, in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Under pressure Waratahs coach Darren Coleman said he was “gutted”.
“If we’re going to challenge this year, we’ve got to win those games at home,” he said.
“It’s disappointing.”
Coleman, in particular, lamented a slow start to the second half.
“It died off after half time,” he said.
“I thought it was a really good battle and high quality first half, both teams had minimal errors and there were lots of big phases in play, but in the second half both teams were guilty of just some simple errors.
“I feel for Tane. He’s feeling pretty ordinary.”
Captain Jake Gordon too rued the missed chance.
“We started like we did last week and were powerful early, got clean ball. But second half we just couldn’t seem to, apart from the try, build any phases and were pretty scrappy at times too,” Gordon said.
“Both teams put a heap of pressure on the ball but it was more our ball control in that second half. Every time we got ourselves in a ghood position we seemed to turn it over way too easy.
“At points in the game we looked sharp but we weren’t sharp enough.
“There were points in that second half where we were under the pump, but we played at the right ends of the field and had an opportunity there to win it. It’s always tough on Tane those ones, but we were definitely a chance to win that game.”
Tane Edmed reacts after missing what would have been a match-winning penalty against the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium, on March 08, 2024, in Sydney. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The loss was also a dagger in the hearts of Coleman, who is needing to convince the NSW Rugby board that he is the right man to take the team forward.
Nor does it get any easier for the Waratahs, with Coleman’s men to take on the Blues who are trying to make it three on the trot against the Hurricanes on Saturday.
Once again Timoci Tavatavanawai proved to be a thorn in the backside of the Waratahs.
After playing a crucial role in Moana Pasifika’s boilover win over the Waratahs in the last round of the regular season last year, the powerful winger was dangerous with ball-in-hand and was lethal over it too.
Enforcer Hugh Renton was also amongst his side’s best, while halves Folau Fakatawa and Rhys Patchell, who scored the opening try after bursting into a gaping hole after his halfback managed to slip a clever offload, kept the Waratahs defence guessing.
The match turning moment came in the 65th minute, as Tanielu Tele’a tossed away Triston Reilly and bumped off Joey Walton out wide to score.