Waratahs homing in on play-offs

By Darren Walton
April 26, 2008

NEW South Wales took a giant step towards securing a home semi-final with an impressive 25-10 bonus-point victory over the Sharks.

In easily their best performance of the season, the Waratahs piled on four tries to one after the break to blitz the shellshocked South Africans and surge to second place on the competition table.

NSW's record-equalling fifth successive win completed a perfect home campaign and left the Waratahs four points clear of the equal third-placed Sharks and Chiefs ahead of demanding two-match road trip of South Africa.

The Waratahs now probably need to win two of their last three matches against the defending champion Bulls, resurgent Stormers and arch-rivals, the Queensland Reds, in Brisbane to clinch a home play-off.

And on the scintillating form shown against the Sharks, the Waratahs will believe anything is possible in 2008 - even if skipper Phil Waugh was determined to keep a lid on the excitement building within the team.

"We've had belief for the whole year, but the nature of this competition is that, if you slacken off, you lose games," Waugh said.

"So we're not getting too carried away. We're not thinking about home semi-finals or anything like that.

"We're just thinking about getting to Pretoria next week and just trying to maintain the momentum we've got at the moment.

"We're sitting on 36 points. I don't know how many you need to get to the semis, but we know we need more than that.

"That's why these three next games are so important to us. It's a tough back end to the season.

"The Bulls are running into form, the Stormers are running into form and even the Reds had their chances against the Chiefs."

A bonus-point triumph over the Sharks appeared all but a pipedream when a career-first penalty goal in the 12th minute from superstar winger Lote Tuqiri provided the only score of a tight first half.

But four quickfire tries between the 48th and 65th minutes - two to destructive No.8 Wycliff Palu, a unanimous choice as man of the match, and one each to fullback Sam Norton-Knight and centre Tom Carter - blew the match open.

The onslaught advanced the Waratahs from a shaky 3-0 advantage to unassailable 25-3 lead.

The Sharks grabbed a late consolation try through winger Odwa Ndungane, but it was an otherwise forgettable night for the South Africans, who have now drawn one and lost two of their last three games after opening with seven straight wins.

Runners-up last year, the Sharks' season is fast slipping away and they must quickly regroup before taking on the frontrunning Crusaders in Christchurch next week .

But they will have to rebound without French World Cup hero Frederic Michalak, who suffered a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in the opening minutes of the game.

The classy playmaker lasted only nine minutes before being helped off the field clutching his left knee.

Sharks coach Dick Muir was resigned to Michalak having played his last game for the team.

"He was going to stick around to play Currie Cup before returning for the French end-of-the-year tour, if he was selected," Muir said.

"He's grown to be one of us and he's really enjoyed it at the Sharks, and we've enjoyed having him and he's added a lot of value to our squad.

"So it will be very sad to see if it is the end of the road for him."

AAP