Standing on the turf of Eden Park on the even of a potentially career defining game, NSW Waratahs captain Hugh Sinclair is relishing the challenge and the sense of history that surrounds Saturday’s must-win clash against the Blues.
With the NSW Waratahs needing victory — and for Moana Pasifika to lose then to the Hurricanes — to make the finals, Sinclair spoke candidly before their Captain’s Run, acknowledging the privilege and pressure of the moment.
“It’s probably something I'll think about more once I stop ... I will think about it a lot more,” Sinclair said before the NSW Waratahs trained at Eden Park.
“But it’s not lost on me, the enormity of being captain. I have managed to captain a few [times] now and there have been a few wins, a few losses …
“But yeah, it’s special group, and there are not too many that have done it.
“It’s a special group to be a part of and to be captain over here … not many get to do that. [Winning] would be special … and that is what we are aiming to do.”
The NSW Waratahs haven’t won at Eden Park since 2009. That 2009 when the team included two players who are in their current staff - their Director of Athletic Performance Tom Carter and Assistant Coach (Set Piece) Dan Palmer.
“’TC’ [Carter] said he was man of the match that day — as probably every game he’s played, he was man of the match,” Sinclair joked of Carter.
“[We] lean on their experience a bit, but we have quality coaches across the board and plenty of boy who’ve played a lot of footy.”
Last week’s Super Point Round 15 win by the NSW Waratahs over the Western Force in Perth has injected belief into the NSW Waratahs at just the right time.
Sinclair, who led in the absence of scrumhalf Jake Gordon due to a hamstring injury that ruled him out for tomorrow, said they composure under pressure.
“It was a tough physical game with both sides giving everything they’ve got,” Sinclair said.
“It was wet, some things didn’t go quite right. We had a few missed kicks but managed to keep our cool and get down the other end … eventually Darby [Lancaster] finished [with a match winning try near the end of the 89th minute].”
With the NSW Waratahs’ finals hopes alive as they sit in eighth place and two points shy of Moana Pasifika and the Blues [on 28 points and placed sixth and seventh respectively,] Sinclair is confident the side can carry that momentum into Eden Park.
“Rugby’s a simple game. You take the things we were doing [well] from last week and bring them into this week. That is the plan,” he said.
The NSW Waratahs will play a youthful, halves pairing in No. 9 Teddy Wilson and No. 10 Jack Bowen, with Bowen set to start for the first time this season.
“It’s tough for Jake [Gordon] to miss out, but Teddy’s been outstanding when Jake has been out … it’s great for ‘Bowie’ to have his first start,” Sinclair said.
“He finished well against the Force. It’s a different beast here against the Blues, but you’ve got to throw them in sometimes and see how they go.”
Surrounding them will be plenty of experience — including playmaker Tane Edmed on the bench, Lawson Creighton in the No. 15 jersey and midfielder Joey Walton at No. 12.
But Sinclair stressed that success starts up front.
“As long as the pack can get them some front-foot ball, we’ll make life easier for those guys, I think we’ll get the result.” he said.
With flanker Charlie Gamble out (calf muscle), Jamie Adamson steps into an otherwise settled pack that Sinclair says is ready to meet the Blues head-on.
“You’ve got to be physical. You’ve got to take it to them here,” he said.
Despite the external noise and the mathematical permutations needed for their finals qualification, Sinclair says the NSW Waratahs are staying grounded.
“There’s no pressure on us — no one expectation on us to win. We can just focus on ourselves and not that outside noise,” Sinclair said.
Where: Eden Park, Auckland
When: Saturday, 31 May, 2025
Kick-off: 2.35 pm (AEST)
The game will be televised LIVE on Stan Sport - The Home of Rugby
