What a difference a week makes ... even if the Waratahs again walked away winners against the Blues at home in Sydney on Saturday night.
But one lasting thought was how much was really at stake in the Waratahs-Brumbies derby at Allianz Stadium in Sydney a week ago. For it became even clearer – the homophobic slur issue aside — when NSW's Super Rugby champions faced the Blues at the same venue on Saturday night.
Arriving at Allianz Stadium last Sunday you could feel the tension in the air. You knew that between the Waratahs and Brumbies there was not just competition points and places on the line, but also an updated reckoning of where a bitter rivalry stood.
And the edge, the tension and ferocity was there from the first minute to the last. Understandably in the aftermath there was promise from the Waratahs that they would maintain the sharpness and edge they took on the Brumbies with against the Blues.
But very quickly on Saturday, it was clear the Waratahs-Blues match was not the Super Rugby rumble of the week before, despite the intent.
It was the Blues who woke the game from its first-half slumber, by taking the lead in the 54th minute with a try in counter attack by Francis Saili to go 11-7 up.
Not that lead lasted long for the Blues, with three more penalties by No.10 Bernard Foley putting the Waratahs back in front 16-11 by the 69th minute mark – a score that widened to 23-11 after reserve back Peter Betham's converted try at the 75th minute.
That the score was 7-6 at half-time had been astounding considering how little possession the Blues had and all the time spent on their line in the final minutes before the break, when the game slowed with a series of scrum re-sets that triggered the Sydney crowd to jeer South African referee Jaco Peyper as he walked off to the sheds escorted by security.
Still, the Waratahs blew chances to extend their lead beyond a single point by then – as it appeared was going to happen when they took the game by the scruff with their high-tempo attacking play that rewarded them in the eighth minute, after a short lineout inside the Blues 22m, with a try by half-back Nick Phipps from a nice pass by flanker Michael Hooper.
It seemed the Waratahs were about to blow the game apart ... until, that is, the same old symptoms started to creep in from a style of game that is all about positive risk.
Poor handling by the Waratahs led to so many unfinished plays, while their errant discipline – a worryingly common element – earned the ire of referee Peyper.
Whereas the Blues, for all their limited ball and territory, managed to hang in there with two successful penalty goals from five-eighth Dan Bowden at the 13th and 29th minutes; and to be fair with dogged defence that faced phase after phase of attack.
Not that the second half was much different ... that is, until the Waratahs finally laid to rest any fears of an upset loss and again testing their fans' faith with their late surge.
