The Super Rugby U19’s Waratahs enter Round 5 full of determination and optimism, sitting on 9 points as they head across the country to face the Western Force.
While their path to the grand final is challenging, with a bonus-point victory this weekend, the Tahs are still in with a chance to make the ground final.
Despite the external factors, the team is confident in their ability to rise to the occasion. "It’s a great time for the team to bounce back and prove to each other that they are a strong and dominant team in this competition." said Head Coach Dan England
The Waratahs have focused on what they can control, committing to a week of hard training and preparation. Dan England expressed satisfaction with the team’s efforts in some areas last week, saying,
“I was happy with the way the team prepared and executed their launch plays and set pieces. They worked hard to get into the right spots; it was just unfortunate that we could not execute at the right time.”
While their structure was solid, there are areas the team will need to improve on to deliver a better performance.
“I wasn’t happy last week with the number of turnovers at the breakdown. We had 15 or 16 first-phase turnovers, which is not where we want to be," England added.
This week, the Waratahs have worked on addressing those breakdown issues and sharpening their defensive play, aiming to be more aggressive and clinical. With the mindset of bouncing back stronger, England emphasised the importance of coming together as a team, especially given the challenge of playing away from home:
“It’s a great experience for the boys to wake up on Sunday as a team in a new state and bring themselves together to perform at a high level.”
The Western Force, too, are coming off a 17-45 loss against the Queensland Reds, making this match a crucial one for both sides.
Tahs winger Liam Grover, who has been a key player this season, spoke on the importance of communication,
“the breakdown of communication is something that we will address this week, and we look forward to improving.”
“There is still another game left; it’s never over until it’s over, and we are going into the game playing like that. The pressure can motivate us to go out and really put on a dominant performance” said Grover.
Despite last week’s setbacks, individual brilliance still shone through for the Tahs, with Jacob Veiru and Eamon Doyal both earning spots in Rugby Australia’s Round 4 Team of the Week. Their standout performance serves as a reminder of the quality within the side.
“The coaches and support staff are so critical in our campaign," Liam Grover added. "They have made it easy for us to nail our roles and allow us to go out to perform and execute.”
With the team motivated, prepared, and eager to prove their strength, the Waratahs are looking forward to the challenge.
"They all want to prove to each other and the jersey, and I’m sure the boys will execute and bounce back this week,” said Dan England.
Super Rugby Men’s U19 – Round 5: NSW Waratahs Vs Western Force.
Sunday, October 19 at Revo Fitness Stadium, WA.
Kick-off at 3:05 pm AEDT.
The match will be broadcast live and ad-free on Stan Sport.
- Nate Tiitii
- Charlie O'Kane
- Edwin Langi
- Tom Girle
- Joe Mangelsdorf
- Jacob Veiru
- Josh Va'alotu
- Eamon Doyle ©
- Hwi Sharples
- Joey Fowler
- Brendan Palmer
- Matteo Cleverley
- Liam Grover
- Tom Klem
- Sid Harvey
- William Guilfoyle
- Jack Cesare
- Kaleb Ah Colt
- Ezekial Guttenbiel
- Angus Patterson
- Darcy Standfield
- Oscar Jorgensen
- Felix Turinui
