Waratahs give Auckland the blues

New South Wales Waratahs claimed their first scoring bonus point of the season with a five-try spanking of Auckland Blues in their Super 14 game yesterday.

The Waratahs gave their most accomplished performance of the season to down the third-placed Blues 37-16 to move into sixth place and press their semi-final claims.

Dominating and capitalizing on Auckland errors, the Waratahs always had control of the game.

The home team were well served by energetic young scrum-half Luke Burgess and his fly-half partner Kurtley Beale, who is showing increasing maturity in his first full season of Super 14 rugby.

Beale with three conversions and two penalties from seven attempts.

Four NSW’s five tries came through the forwards with prop Benn Robinson burrowing over in the 16th minute and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau snapping up a loose pass and sprinting 50m to score right on half-time.

Wycliffe Paul powered over after 59 minutes and Lote Tuqiri scored a record 25th try for his province to clinch the first scoring bonus point for NSW this season with 12 minutes left.

Flanker Dean Mumm sealed the victory with a try out wide to finish the scoring.

Elsewhere, the referee’s performance was the focus of intense scrutiny yesterday after the Wellington Hurricanes and South Africa’s Sharks drew 13-13.

The draw preserved the Durban-based Sharks’ unbeaten record through eight rounds.

Australian Paul Marks reduced both teams to 14 men during the second half, sin-binning Wellington prop Neemia Tialata for an off-the-ball tackle on Sharks’ fullback Stefan Terblanche and sending off the Sharks’ former Tongan international Epi Taione in the 65th minute for head-butting.

Both decisions were backed up by replays and the intervention of linesmen, but a penalty try Marks awarded to the Sharks and another he denied the Hurricanes may be the subject of further scrutiny.