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Fans hit back at SANZAAR after Sunwolves pick up win at Waratahs

Sunwolves celebrate win over Waratahs. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

A week after beating the champions Crusaders, the New South Wales Waratahs slumped to a loss at home to the Sunwolves on Friday.

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It was the Japanese side’s first win on Australian soil in Super Rugby, to go alongside their first win in New Zealand earlier this season against the Chiefs.

The Australian side rested some key players, and their absence was certainly noticed, particularly Bernard Foley’s, but that does not take anything away from a Sunwolves team that defended superbly, and took it to a Waratahs defence that had received a lot of plaudits going into the match.

The Sunwolves have had a lot of attention this past week, after being controversially axed from Super Rugby following the 2020 season. In light of this news, and their performance, many fans have questioned the decision-making of SANZAAR on Twitter. This is what they are saying:

https://twitter.com/Moyletra/status/1111577568640151552

https://twitter.com/Khesmoney/status/1111588215906099200

https://twitter.com/ShutUpStott/status/1111581077624246272

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https://twitter.com/doncandon/status/1111574436270862337

Of course, the decision to remove the Sunwolves from Super Rugby had many more factors to it than simply their performances, as there was financial difficulty. However, based on how they played against the Waratahs, many fans are bewildered that the decision has been made.

While their performance was not great against the Lions in Singapore last weekend, the Sunwolves came to prove their doubters wrong in Australia this weekend. Many fans feel that this is the perfect response from the Japanese team, who would have been licking their wounds this week.

The Sunwolves played good rugby against the Waratahs, and it is clear that they are a team that are progressing in their fourth season in the competition, and fans were saying that out of the two teams, it is hard to believe that the Sunwolves are getting the ones getting the chop.

Nonetheless, after what has surely been a turbulent week, this was the perfect way for the Sunwolves to make a statement.

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You may also like: New Rugby Australia Director of Rugby Scott Johnson on Wallabies RWC 2019 chances

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Nickers 18 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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