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By Darren Walton,
AAP
Updated July 14, 2013, 2:28 pm
The NSW Waratahs have already set their sights on landing an elusive first Super Rugby title in 2014 despite missing the playoffs for a second straight season.
NSW's 14-12 last-round home loss to Queensland on Saturday night left the Waratahs in ninth spot with eight wins and eight defeats this campaign.
Ladder-wise, the Tahs only climbed two rungs in 2013 but they produced twice the amount of wins and led the competition for line breaks while embracing first-year coach Michael Cheika's new ball-in-hand style of play.
Just one goal from a total of five attempts against the Reds from Brendan McKibbin and Berrick Barnes, who missed with a match-winning chance in the dying minutes, provided a snapshot of the Waratahs' season of near-misses.
One-point losses to the Cheetahs and Crusaders and two-point defeats to the Western Force and Reds ultimately proved the difference between making the finals and missing out.
"There were games this year we should have won. As simple as that," said skipper Dave Dennis.
"We finished with eight wins, a few more than last year, but we still missed out on the finals. So to look at it that way, it's disappointing.
"But as captain of the team, I've been really proud of the effort that's everyone's put in - all the players, all the staff - and we've got a clear direction about where we want to go.
"We've laid a base for next season. When we gather later in the year, or whenever that may be, there's a clear understanding of what's expected of each player and how we want to play rugby.
"So that's positive and we've made great strides in that regard.
"We've just got to get better at winning matches."
Several players, including Wallabies Berrick Barnes and Sitaleki Timani, are moving on but star playmaker Kurtley Beale will be back in 2014 and Dennis said elder statesmen like Test regulars Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu and Wycliff Palu were intent on winning a maiden Super title. (I think B Foley is staying as well)
"They don't want to leave after a 12-year career at the Waratahs without having won a title," Dennis said.
"That's very important to them. They care about that.
"Then the new guys, they're sort of jumping on that wave as well. Playing professional footy, you always want to be playing in the finals."
Cheika said: "This might be the end, but it's really just the start".
"We've got a good launching pad into next season for sure," he said.
"I believe that we have gone well towards achieving the start of the turnaround that we've been after.
"We will definitely have bigger ambitions ... I want to make the finals next year. Of course I do. I'm not a loser.
"I feel we've built a nice little fortress that we can maybe start fighting a few wars from."
With Beale's ill-fated two-season stint with the Rebels over, Cheika is hopeful of announcing the 24-year-old's return to the Waratahs this week.
"We want him," Cheika said. (and the ARU will make sure you get him!!!)
The Waratahs are also optimistic about retaining dual international Israel Folau, who proved the revelation of the competition in his first season in rugby.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...r-rugby-title/
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Originally Posted by The InnFORCEr
