Waratahs had 10 Wallabies in starting XV and nearly lost. But victory was all that mattered

Table of Contents

1. The Waratahs are exactly where you'd expect them to be

It was all about the result for the Waratahs on Friday. Nothing else mattered, which is why there've been few questions about why a team with ten Wallabies in the starting XV came perilously close to a home loss against a Highlanders side with one current All Black.

There were some positives in the Waratahs' performance, but also some negatives and some areas that were a bit rough around the edges. Anyone expecting a different result was probably underestimating how much the team has changed in terms of personnel, and the players are still getting to know each other. In attack, it was clear they're still building connections, but conceding five tries is a lot to work on in defence.

Yet, beating the opposition was a much bigger priority than striving for something that was never going to happen. The win was effectively an eight-point swing in terms of competition points against a team that could be right in the mix for a lower finals spot along with the Waratahs.

2. Suaalii hype is all a bit too much, but it's starting to get a bit out of touch with what's really going on.

If you were playing against the Waratahs this weekend, there'd be three main danger zones: Taniela Tupou's dominant scrummaging, Langi Gleeson's high-energy tackles at the beginning of the game (he had a massive 19 carries on Friday), and the impact Mahe Vailanu and Charlie Gamble make when they contest the ball in the air.

Why? They all offer the Waratahs the opportunity to create a penalty and get the team into the penalty-kick-to-lineout cycle that the Brumbies have become experts at, and Dan McKellar is clearly working hard to introduce to NSW. Three of the Waratahs' five tries came from the lineout on Friday, which was a clear indication of McKellar's influence.

Suaalii is a top player, but those blokes will always find a way to make an impact – there's no point getting worked up about them, especially when they're playing fullback. Anyway, in reality, Suaalii probably isn't the most talented, 21-year-old Pasifika back-three athlete in the competition at the moment. That honour belongs to Moana Pasifika's Kyren Taumoefolau, who scored two tries against the Force and pulled off a ripper of an overhead catch that was the best individual effort of the weekend.

3. Brumbies prove they're the benchmark for Australian rugby

The Brumbies looked all but over in the second half in Suva, particularly after Luke Reimer went off for a head injury assessment after being knocked in a big hit (a call that was handled differently to the yellow card in the Waratahs v Highlanders game). But Reimer returned to the field and helped inspire the Brumbies to a notable victory, and the way they wore down the Drua without a few of their Wallabies was a testament to their solid tactics. Tom Hooper had a standout game in the second row and their forward play in the final stretch was exceptional.

The Brumbies have such faith in their system that you don't often see them go on the attack, and hookers Billy Pollard and Lachlan Lonergan are really starting to form a top-notch one-two punch.

4. Donaldson and Champion de Crespigny show starch

Wallabies No.10 Ben Donaldson looked like he was knocked out early in the second half after rolling his ankle. He was limping badly for the next 10 minutes, but the way he played through the pain before that sensational final play burst for the Force was exactly what you're looking for in a British and Irish Lions year.

Some of the Force's restart work was pretty ordinary, but they look like a team with a fair bit of mongrel spirit, and on early signs, new flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny seems like a blue blood but plays like a hard-nosed roughie. He carried the ball four times in the impressive set of phases leading up to the Donaldson try, and he could give the Force something they've been missing since Brynard Stander was around.

5. The new legislation trial that doesn't seem quite on the money

World Rugby introduced a new series of law trials on January 1, but one of them is at risk of making the halfback a protected species. The official law trial states: "A player who was in, or is part of, the ruck may not compete with an opponent who is close to it (within 1 metre), and who is trying to pick up the ball."

Sounds good, but where's the reward for the bloke who's contesting the ruck, busts through it and gets his hands on the halfback?

For me, the sight of a big second-rower or loose forward tackling the pesky five-eighth is a great part of the game – the ruck isn't a rugby league play-the-ball. Ardie Savea was sin-binned for it in the Western Force-Moana Pasifika game, but why even have a ruck if you don't let powerful players like Savea get through the gate anymore?

8. Langi Glesson (Waratahs), 9. Ryan Lonergan (Brumbies), 10. Ben Donaldson (Western Force), 11. Max Jorgensen (Waratahs), 12. Hamish Stewart (Western Force), 13. Hudson Creighton (Brumbies), 14. Ollie Sapsford (Brumbies), 15. Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii (Waratahs)

The only spot to watch Every match is available live, on demand, and ad-free.