Waratahs’ fans have always been a faithful and patient lot, able to cling to the slimmest glimmer of hope when everything else seems lost.
Friday’s heart-stopping 43-40 win over the Crusaders – which ended a sequence of five losses in a row this season – was the ultimate reward for their most loyal supporters because this was a game they never looked like winning.
Six times, the Waratahs fell behind the Crusaders but on each occasion they clawed their way back.
The decisive moment came right at the death. Will Harrison, who has endured two years of horror injuries, landed a penalty after the siren to send the contest into golden point.
Then the replacement five-eighth kept his cool one more time to land the winning field goal.
“It’s what dreams are made of to be honest,” Harrison said in a sideline interview with Stan.
“I spent so much time down at my local park kicking field goals, penalty goals, match-winners and dreaming of playing for the Waratahs.
“To be on the big stage tonight and come up trumps, I can’t believe it. It’s crazy.”
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The amazing win came on the same night that NSW Rugby was honouring the 2014 Waratahs team that also beat the Crusaders to win their only Super Rugby title a decade ago.
Not only did the latest success give the NSW flock something to celebrate but also renewed hope they can still make the playoffs if they can get on a roll.
“You can’t be in that many close games and not win one eventually,” said the Waratahs coach Darren Coleman.
“I’m so happy for the boys. The last few weeks have been so hard and emotionally draining.”
Four of their five successive losses were by six points or less and Friday’s wild white-knuckle ride looked like it was heading the same way as each time the Waratahs fought back, they surrendered the lead straight back to the Kiwis, making more slip ups than Sonny Bill Williams trying to string a coherent sentence together.
“It’s a great feeling,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon said.
“I’m especially just happy with the group and the coaching staff, they’ve all been working extra hard over this last little period.
“We’ve been close in a lot of the games so to be lucky at the end of that feels extra special to close it out.”
Things started badly when they gave away possession in the first tackle of the match and conceded a try with the first minute to Sevu Reece.
But for all their blunders, the Waratahs have never lacked courage. It’s their execution that lets them down, not their commitment.
They got over the line four times in total – with Lachie Swinton, Ned Hanigan, Dylan Pietsch and Julian Heaven all scoring tries – but also gave up four tries so it ultimately came down to a test of nerves they won.
“That one feels pretty good,” Hanigan said.
“We’ve had a few really close games and geez, that went the distance again but we’d spoken about really finishing those moments right and staying patient and we nailed it.”
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