Rugby: Leaden Waratahs show how to lose ugly

SUPER 14
Bulls 20
Waratahs 6

Option-taking is a vital element of rugby; smart decisions usually lead to good results.

The Waratahs, in winning ugly as they have done for much of this Super 14 campaign, have generally made the right decisions. They have played it tight when they had to, respected the percentages and taken most of the chances they created.

At least they did for a while. Their defence has been superb - they had only surrendered their tryline 13 times in eight matches before last night. Problem is, they haven't scored many - 18, although only seven in the last five matches and three of them were against the Blues on a leaky old night.

So when rangy rookie loose forward Ben Mowen blasted upfield on an impressive run, his decision to ignore the unmarked man on his outside in favour of taking a good Bulls tackle seemed flawed.

The Waratahs continued what was a good movement and threatened the Bulls line only for Mowen, impressively involved again, to chip kick instead of pass or set up the ruck.

Twice in one movement he'd made the wrong decision and it was impossible to avoid the thought that the Waratahs just might lose ugly. Especially when the Bulls rumbled downfield and manufactured a try to winger Bryan Habana with little fuss and, it seemed, effort.

The Waratahs have built what has been a successful season so far around a good scrum, a mobile contest at the breakdown and that stiff defence.

But last night they were up against a Bulls outfit complete with lineout burglars Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha - the latter as physical a combatant as you'll find on a rugby field and it is amazing he continues to escape a big right hand. One elbow to the face of a Waratahs player would have earned most a yellow card.

The Waratahs seemed heavy-legged and slow of thought; a team that has played nine straight and who don't get the bye for another week.

So the duff decisions kept rolling in. Waratahs chip-kicked in the 22, where they were easily claimed by defenders. Timana Tahu threw a wonky pass which prompted a comical bout of mishandling from Lote Tuqiri and Wycliff Palu that resembled a Keystone Kops skit. Handling lapses, turnovers and pushed passes completed the poor decisions file.

The Bulls were content to kick, play territory and rumble up through the forwards, only letting the ball wide when it seemed it was on. At halftime, 7-3 up, they were out-per centaging the experts who were ruffled at the breakdown and outdone in the lineouts.

They showed more zip after the break, though the execution was still lacking. Fullback Sam Norton-Knight coughed up a potential scoring pass, prop Benn Robinson copped a free-kick when a Waratahs rolling maul looked promising and Tahu threw another ill-judged pass.

The Bulls efficiently notched a drop goal to Morne Steyn and narrowly missed another after halfback Fourie du Preez - taking the right option - scuttled through the Waratahs defence from the Robinson free kick.

And you knew it wasn't going to be the Waratahs night when Robinson was curiously penalised for tackling a flying Zane Kirchner when the fullback attempted, crazily, to hurdle him. Steyn kicked the penalty; option-taking had raised its head again.

And again when Palu found a way through the Bulls defence but his offload went direct to Pierre Spies. From the turnover, the Bulls mounted a wave of forward bashes until prop Werner Kruger burrowed over.

That was it - a percentage win for the Bulls while the Waratahs confirmed that they can lose ugly too.

Waratahs 6 (D. Halangahu 2 pen), Bulls 20 (B. Habana, W. Kruger tries; M. Steyn con, pen, drop goal). Halftime: 3-7.