NSW Waratahs hooker Ethan Dobbins says Friday's Round 9 win over the Chiefs at Allianz Stadium, Moore Park was a key step forward for the team.
But he said the focus remains on lessons learned and the challenge ahead, starting with Saturday’s Round 10 clash against the Fijian Drua at Lautoka, Fiji.
Dobbins, who has started in the No. 2 strip for the last two games after his NSW Waratahs debut off the bench in Round 7 against the Hurricanes, credited the messaging of Head Coach Dan McKellar as a driving force in the win.
“Putting in a performance like that, especially after the two disappointing losses away was something that we needed and something that Dan challenged and asked from us,” Dobbins said Monday. “I feel like we dug deep and delivered.
“He asked us about what the jersey means to us, what this team means to us, and where we want to be and where we want to take rugby in Australia, and especially rugby in NSW, the pride we want to show our fans and each other.
"He asked us to essentially work for each other and what we are willing to do, how far we are willing to go, what we’re prepared to give for the bloke beside you, to fight the full 80 minutes ... which is something we struggled to do in the last two games, especially in finishing it up.”
Dobbins helped set the tone early in a game that saw the NSW Waratahs put pressure on Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie to disrupt their rhythm.
“We talked about shutting down their time and space, not just McKenzie but across the whole backline,” Dobbins said.
“It was a real team effort. We worked hard on our connection and line speed during the week, and it showed.”
For Dobbins personally, the match was another important milestone in his growth as a Super Rugby player.
“I’m learning every week,” he said. “There’s really strong competition among the hookers here, but it’s healthy – it drives us all to be better for the team.”
Dobbins also credited McKellar’s demands on the forward pack for the NSW Waratahs' ability to show that they can close out tight games.
“He pushes us to find that extra gear when we’re under fatigue,” Dobbins said.
“Those tough sessions in pre-season have put us in a position where, even when it’s tight late in the game, we can back our defence.”
The NSW Waratahs will need to draw on that resilience again this Saturday when they face the Fijian Drua at Churchill Park in Lautoka, where conditions and the Drua’s unpredictable attacking style pose a different kind of challenge.
"We talked about this against the Chiefs game," Dobbins said when asked about stopping their ability to dictate the game.
"One is identifying the momentum swings in a game, and being in control of it.
"[It's about] identifying when things are not going our way and a big moment when the pressure has come back at us, and how do we fix it, how do we slow things down or speed things up; or what we need to do from us as a forward pack and a team to swing momentum back in our favour and control the game.
"They are such a high tempo, high-speed risky game play [team] where [off] chip chases and off-loads they score a hundred metres from their goal line.
"They are deadly anywhere around the field ... and [we have to] just maintain that control and not get frantic."
Where: Churchill Park, Lautoka, Fiji
When: Saturday, 19 April, 2025
Kick-off: 12.05 pm (AEST)
The game will be televised LIVE on Stan Sport - The Home of Rugby
