The Waratahs No. 10 jersey is one of the most scrutinised in Australian rugby, and the wearer has become like a referee: if they come off after a game and no one is talking about them, then it was a job well done.
So, the lack of praise for Lawson Creighton after his first-up performance against the Reds didn’t signal that he was substandard, but rather that most of it was being directed (justifiably) to Max Jorgensen.
Solid outing: NSW flyhalf Lawson Creighton against the Reds last Friday night. Credit: Getty Images
In fact, Creighton showed his skill and dexterity with one important play in the 49th minute, batting an unsympathetic pass from Joey Walton into the air twice with his left hand before catching it in his right and booting it downfield.
That single play was the difference between a Reds scrum in Waratahs territory and a NSW lineout in Reds territory. It came at a key moment when the otherwise superior Waratahs were going through a messy period — the third quarter was the only period when they didn’t score a point.
Moments like that are coach-winners, and you can see why Dan McKellar, a former prop, likes Creighton: he plays tough and understands the importance of putting his forwards in the right areas.
But if you were to be critical, Creighton still looks like a very handy utility (he started at fullback against the British and Irish Lions last year and moved to No. 12 for the final 17 minutes against the Reds) who is playing No. 10 – something he will get away with until the quality of opposition rises.
Star performance: Max Jorgensen scores his second try against the Reds. Credit: Getty Images
In fact, part of the appeal of new Waratahs fullback James Hendren to the coaches must be how comfortable he is in that first-receiver position. Hendren has great soft skills and that near-uncoachable ability to get the timing of his passes right under pressure. He’s a real asset for Creighton.
So while Creighton is not an issue for the Waratahs per se, if you think about them as a potential title-challenging side, the No. 10 position is one where there is a gap between what they have at present and what they need.
McKellar has ambitions to challenge the Kiwis. The acquisitions of Angus Crichton and Luke Reimer from next year are two excellent pieces of that bigger picture, and everything the Waratahs have done since the end of last year’s Super Rugby competition – the Lions performance, the successful Super Rugby AU campaign and the strong pre-season before the Reds win – shows they are heading in the right direction.
When you strip back that win against the Reds to the fundamentals – hunger and winning contact – the Waratahs were ahead of the Reds by a noticeable margin.
It was evident in the carries of No. 6 Clem Halaholo, but also in the scrummaging of loosehead Tom Lambert. Lawmakers have done a lot to remove the “hit” from scrummaging, but winning that initial contact is still important, and Lambert was far more explosive and aggressive than his opposite, Zane Nonggorr.
Lambert is a smaller man, but he rarely let the Wallabies tighthead get into a good position and fears of the Waratahs scrum letting them down turned out to be vastly exaggerated.
So there is a lot to like about the Waratahs – especially if they can raise their ceiling further by finding a Bernard Foley 2.0.
There aren’t many on the market, and it certainly won’t be Reesjan Pasitoa, the former Brumbies and Force playmaker previously tipped by Tim Horan as a Wallabies playmaker in the making.
In an interesting development, Pasitoa has signed a two-year deal with the Highlanders and has switched his eligibility to New Zealand.
“No hard feelings,” Pasitoa told the Herald last month. “That’s what it is. My dad’s Niuean, he’s a New Zealand citizen and I’m in the process of applying for mine. Whether or not I get that, that’s another story, but I’m going to try and apply for my citizenship here. A new chapter really.”
And it was previously reported that Noah Lolesio’s move to Japan was initially for one year only, with the option of a second. After his frightening injury for the Wallabies last year, Lolesio is back playing for Shuttles Aichi in the second tier of Japanese rugby.
In a Rugby World Cup year in 2027, the Waratahs and the Wallabies would both be winners from his return.
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