Former Wallabies star Matt Burke has questioned the decision-making of the Waratahs’ senior players following their costly loss of a bonus point in Saturday’s match against the Fijian Drua.
Dan McKellar’s side were defeated 28-14 in a game where they were thoroughly outplayed. However, they were still in a position to claim a losing bonus point — until a puzzling decision in the final moments cost them.
After full-time, the Drua missed a penalty kick while leading 21-14. Instead of safely grounding the ball and securing a point, the Waratahs tried to counterattack. A chaotic sequence followed, ending with Joseph Suaalii collecting the ball in an offside position to prevent what looked like a certain try for the Drua. The referee awarded a penalty try, sealing a 14-point defeat for the Waratahs and denying them the bonus.
Burke was stunned by the decision not to play it safe. “Just run it out and take your point,” he said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts. “This is what I don’t get. The only team that’s going 105 metres in Fiji is the Drua. Joseph’s out of position and it’s just instinct — but that’s where the senior leaders need to step in and say, ‘We’re leaving with a bonus point.’”
Co-host Justin Harrison also weighed in, jokingly admitting he would’ve been “reasonably heated” at the situation, even if it came from an attacking mindset.
The Waratahs now find themselves in a vulnerable sixth position on the Super Rugby Pacific table. Chasing them are the Hurricanes, Blues, and Highlanders — all just four points adrift.
Burke fears that the misjudgment could prove costly down the line. “Maybe the mindset was, ‘Let’s run everything and have a crack,’” he added. “But when you look at that ladder — they’re sixth and teams like the Hurricanes and Blues are right behind them. You have to take every point you can. It’s tough enough as it is.”
With the competition heating up, the Waratahs may come to regret their misstep in Fiji if the race for finals positions tightens further.
