After notching up an important away against the Stormers in South Africa three weeks ago, Waratahs coach Michael Cheika is now looking to add a second, naming an unchanged starting 15 for the Anzac Day clash against the Blues in Auckland.
Although the ‘Tahs won the last encounter between the sides, it’s four years since their last win, a narrow 27-22 Phil Waugh-led victory at Eden Park back in March 2009. The only other two contests to be played in Auckland since then both came in 2011, when the Blues recorded back-to-back wins, with the latter (a 26-13 Super Rugby qualifying final result) ending the Tahs’ finals hopes.
This Friday’s crucial Anzac Day encounter will see the Waratahs field an all-Wallaby front row, with Benn Robinson at loosehead, Sekope Kepu at tighthead and Tatafu Polota Nau at hooker.
Playing his best football of the season, Will Skelton retains his position at lock alongside the resilient Kane Douglas, who will earn his 66th NSW cap on Friday afternoon.
Crowd favourite Jacques Potgieter will start at as blindside flanker while the openside is last week’s NSW Man of the Match, Michael Hooper.
Starting in every game so far of the season are halves Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley, with the latter needing just 17 points to become the Tahs’ eighth most prolific Super Rugby point-scorer.
Recovering from an injured ankle, Kurtley Beale will start at inside centre with Adam Ashley Cooper, who is chasing seven points to rack up for 100 in Super Rugby.
The back three will see wingers Rob Horne and Cam Crawford combine with fullback Israel Folau, who needs just one more try to equal the Waratahs’ record for most individual Super Rugby tries in a season.
Veteran Wycliff Palu returns via the bench after missing the last two games. Cheika has named a nine-man bench to travel to Auckland, with one player still to be omitted to from the match-day 23.
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Cam Crawford, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Dave Dennis (Captain), 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Jacques Potgieter, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson
Replacements: 16 Tola Latu, 17 Jeremy Tilse, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Patrick McCutcheon, 20 Wycliff Palu, 21 Brendan McKibbin, 22 Jonathan Lance, 23 Matt Carraro.