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no surprises here...
https://www.9news.com.au/national/sy...e-afa779a74146
The NSW Waratahs have set an unwanted piece of history by starting a Super Rugby season with successive losses for the first time, after crashing 32-12 to the Blues in Newcastle on Saturday.
The Blues scored five tries to two in front of 7491 hardy spectators at a wet McDonald Jones Stadium, with winger Mark Telea notching a second-half hat-trick for the visitors, who notched a fifth straight win over the Waratahs.
Despite the wet weather conditions in Newcastle, today's attendance of 7491 is officially the lowest home crowd for the Waratahs in their 25-year history.
The New Zealand side never trailed and were more clinical in the rainy conditions against a Waratahs side that made some critical errors, especially at the breakdown.
Compounding the Tahs misery exciting winger Mark Nawaqanitawase went off injured just after the hour, when he landed awkwardly after athletically diving over the line to score his second try in as many Super games.
The Blues were down to 14 men in the second half when influential No.8 Hoskins Sotutu was sin-binned for a high tackle on Waratahs centre Karmichael Hunt but had already banked enough points to win.
The Blues, who also first round losers, scored two tries in the first four minutes of the second half to take control after leading just 8-7 at the break.
A try to flanker Blake Gibson and a penalty to five-eighth Stephen Perofeta set up an 8-0 lead for the Blues but the Waratahs trimmed the deficit on the stroke of halftime when centre Lalakai Foketi smashed his way over.
The Waratahs momentum disappeared almost immediately after the break, with the Blues bolting to a 20-7 lead.
Joe Marchant crossed after good work from centre partner TJ Faiane and two minutes later Telea was first to a well-judged stab kick from Sotutu.
The Waratahs woes increased in the 49th minute when captain Rob Simmons opted for a scrum close to the Blues line after the home team were awarded a penalty.
The Blues pack then drove right through their opponents in a demoralising moment for the home team
Nawaqanitawase's try offered the Tahs a sliver of hope, but they lacked the composure to threaten the Blues before Telea crossed twice in the last three minutes to earn his side a bonus point.
#FU ARU
"May I assure you I have just begun to fight mate" Twiggy Forrest, 05/09/17
I suspect about 5,000 of that 7,491 were expat Kiwis supporting the Blues.
Wonder what the viewing figures were for Fox.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Ratings should be out by Tuesday I think.
It's been a while since I've looked but I think the Fox ratings are just released as a Top 50.
I assume they may have a more comprehensive list somewhere.
The comment was made elsewhere that the Tah's average attendance of ~13,500 in 2019 was the highest of all Australian SR franchises.
This average arises from not publishing about 4 crowds which were obviously below that number.
Super Rugby and its band of complicit journalists are in total denial about the level of crowd support.
This effort from Geerob seems to promote RS's spin on the rights deal too. Don't know for sure how these things work. But does the fact that someone sends you an invite mean that you are necessarily interested? Even so, I hope Castle and Mattiske can pull a rabbit out of the hat somehow.......
As reported in the Herald's media section on Monday, Rugby Australia will this week send out non-disclosure agreements to Foxtel, Optus, Amazon, Rugby Pass and Australia's three commercial free-to-air networks.......That Foxtel is on that list gives the lie to five days of furious speculation that the majority News Corp-owned pay television provider has walked away from the game it helped champion for the past 25 years.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...09-p53z5u.html
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Snow here in Trondheim!