The NSW Waratahs have defeated the Queensland Reds 21-14 in their final pre-season hit out of 2022 as part of the Santos Festival of Rugby in Roma.
Waratahs Head Coach Darren Coleman named an almost full-strength side to begin proceedings, providing an opportunity for his players to build some combinations ahead of their opening match of the Super Rugby Pacific season against the Fijian Drua in Round 1.
2021 Wallabies squad members Angus Bell, Lachlan Swinton, Jake Gordon, Izzy Perese and Lalakai Foketi all returned to the starting side, while Wales International Jamie Roberts was named on the bench.
A power outage in Roma delayed the start of the match by almost an hour and a half but it was the Waratahs who burst out of the blocks in the opening stages of the match.
Alex Newsome was the danger man for the Waratahs scoring the opening try and setting up the second, with a clinical offload to Ben Donaldson allowing the men in sky-blue to race away for a 14-0 lead.
The Waratahs dominated the latter part of the half and were unlucky not to add to their two tries, with the Reds down to 13 men after Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Dane Zander were sent to the sin bin after repeated infringements.
The Reds kicked into gear in the second half, scoring in the opening exchanges with Harry Wilson crashing over from close range to close the gap to 14-7.
Tane Edmed scored a try in the 60th minute to extend the lead back to 14 points but reserve Reds scrumhalf Mac Grealy ensured the game went to the wire with his sniping try late in the game.
The Reds kept coming but were unable to breach the Waratahs line to force a draw, with Darren Coleman’s men running out 21-14 winners.
The Waratahs now look towards their opening match of their Super Rugby Pacific season against newcomers the Fijian Drua at CommBank Stadium.
