Waratahs vow to throw off shackles in must-win clash

The Waratahs are burning themselves out with hard work and will look to make life easier – and keep their finals hopes alive – by embracing the same attacking mentality that saw him winning games and thrilling fans at the start of the season.

That’s the view of NSW lock Miles Amatosero, who has returned to the Waratahs’ starting side to meet the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday. Sitting in eighth spot on 20 points with four games left, the Waratahs must win this weekend – and keep winning – to remain in reach of the top six and a playoff berth.

Standing in the way are the Highlanders, who the Waratahs have beaten three times in their last four games, including a 32-20 win in Dunedin in 2022 – their only win in the last 25 matches New Zealand, a run that dates back to 2015.

The Highlanders have had an equally underwhelming season, sitting a spot behind NSW in ninth, also on 20 points, and will be equally desperate for a win to stay in the hunt for a possible finals spot.

The Waratahs crashed to the Force in a dire performance at home last week, in which they conspired to repeatedly hand the ball to the WA side and defend in their own half for most of the game. The Tahs attempted a whopping 345 tackles, with Angus Scott-Young making 31 tackles alone.

“Far out, we make a lot of tackles and we really make it hard on ourselves,” Amatosero said. “Last game was 340-odd tackles we made and we are really trying to not be working that hard.

“And that is trying to move the ball around and find the space. We’re working so hard at the moment – too hard. So we are just trying to make our jobs [and] lives a little bit easier by just getting the freedom to move the ball around.”

The Waratahs began the season brightly, with Max Jorgensen scoring two tries in each of the first three games via an ambition to stretch teams wide and attack on the counter. But as the season has worn on, the attack has grown more direct and crash-ball. But it’s also more risk-averse, with a plan to kick if no momentum is built after three or four phases.

Allied to a persistent tendency to turn over attacking ball through penalties, unforced turnovers and set-piece malfunction, it has left attacking weapons like Jorgensen, and recently Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, very little opportunity with the ball.

The challenge for the Waratahs is, as the pressure of the pre-finals squeeze heightens, to chance their hand again – and that’s exactly the mindset they plan to use, according to Amatosero.

“As these games are getting more and more important as the season goes on, we can’t shy away from having the courage to throw the ball around like we did in those early rounds. It’s easy to sort of go into a comfort zone and we’re not doing that this week,” he said.

“It just comes down to the basics really, about being set early so you can see the picture. Once you see the picture, have the confidence to take it.

“We’re going to be doing that, if we see the picture, we’re not going to be humming and aahing. We’re going to go for it.”

Amatosero has come into the starting side to replace captain Matt Philip, who has been rested with a niggly calf strain.

It is a perfect chance for the big lock to stamp a claim on a potential Wallabies squad call-up, particularly up against Argentinina lock Tomas Lavinini, who is playing for the Highlanders this season.

The pair were teammates at Clermont in 2023.

“He’s good mate, I caught up with him for a coffee,” Amatosero said. “I love coming up against higher honours blokes because for me, it makes my job a lot easier because the pressure’s off me. I can do what I love to do and just try and dominate my opposite position. And obviously, if they’re an international, it shows even better.”

Suaalii stays at 13 for now, but Waratahs weighing positional rethink

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar is open to a position switch for multimillion-dollar back Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii after the former NRL star was retained at outside centre for NSW’s clash against the Highlanders on Saturday.

Suaalii has been starved of possession this season, carrying the ball 35 metres in three Super Rugby appearances. McKellar revealed Suaalii played in Friday’s defeat against the Force with a side strain, finishing the game with three carries.

“We just had no ball [against the Force] and that’s the reality, we had a plan to get Su [Suaalii] into the game a whole lot more than what he was,” McKellar said.

“He copped a bump pretty early on, which certainly restricted him as well. Thankfully, he’s overcome that. He’s been selected at 13 this week and I’ve said many times before, there’s an open mind around where he plays now and where he plays in the future.

“He’s very focused on what he needs to do. Obviously, last year we played him at 15. He played five or six games last year and performed pretty well. He’s been in the 13 jersey for the Wallabies. Up until this point, we thought we’d keep that consistency around position and try to unlock what is a pretty unique talent.”

Although limited in attack, Suaalii has improved his defence this season, boasting a 95 per cent tackle success rate.

After being asked whether Suaalii’s physicality and direct ball running could potentially be an asset at inside centre, McKellar remained non-committal ahead of a must-win game against the Highlanders to keep the Waratahs’ finals hopes alive.

“Regardless of what number he’s got on his back, he can be used effectively. Unfortunately, last Friday night the game [against the Force] didn’t allow that,” McKellar said.

“We’ve got the roof on on Saturday afternoon [in Dunedin]. We know we’re going to get good conditions, playing against a team that likes to play a fast, attacking style of rugby and certainly didn’t show that on Friday night.”

Suaalii is on a reported $1.8 million salary this year and has missed seven games this season with a hamstring injury. McKellar said the scrutiny on his player can be unfair, but that Suaalii was largely oblivious to it.

“I talk to him about it [the scrutiny] and he’s very measured, I don’t think he spends a whole lot of time reading articles,” McKellar said.

Max Jorgensen is retained at fullback for his third successive game, after playing his first eight games of the season on the wing.

The Waratahs are also nursing a long injury list, including inside centre Joey Walton (neck), breakaway Jamie Adamson (cheekbone injury), prop Tom Lambert (knee) and captain Matt Philip (calf).

McKellar confirmed Philip could have played against the Highlanders, but it was decided to rest the second-rower with Jake Gordon skippering the team in Dunedin.

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