Adventurous attack. Bone-rattling defence. Mistakes punished and opportunities seized. Get in the enemy’s faces and bring the crowd into the contest from the get-go. A ragtag NSW Waratahs gave Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies a bold blueprint for how to dismantle the British & Irish Lions in the first Test on 19 July.
Ultimately, the Waratahs went down 21-10 as the Lions shrugged off a 14-10 arm wrestle after 54 minutes to squeak one more try and remain undefeated down under. But for Australia’s third-best province, a team rated worst in Super Rugby for tackling and maul metres, to rattle and dominate the Lions as much as they did was a shock.
