'Tahs break Eden Park duck
The New South Wales Waratahs claimed their first victory at Eden Park with a 27-22 victory over the Auckland Blues.
Last Updated: 27/03/09 4:56pm
The New South Wales Waratahs claimed their first victory at Eden Park with a 27-22 victory over the Auckland Blues.
Fly-half Daniel Halangahu, preferred to Kurtley Beale in the visitors' starting XV, orchestrated the win with a 17-point haul.
Halangahu scored a try and kicked three conversions and two penalties as the Waratahs snapped a two-match losing streak.
Scrum-half Luke Burgess and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau scored the other tries for the Waratahs to send them top of the Super 14 standings on 23 points, although South Africa's Bulls (22) and Sharks (21) play later in the weekend.
"It's a tough place to win, I've been on the wrong end too many here and it was a great effort by the guys," Waratahs captain Phil Waugh said.
"It was an important win for us.
"(We) controlled field position and held on to the ball in their half and we did that well in the first 20 minutes and again in the second half but not for the full 80, so we still have a bit to build on."
Slow start
Auckland found themselves with an early 10-0 deficit and, although the Waratahs never got out of sight, that gap was too much to overcome.
The Blues, who started without injured prop Tony Woodcock, also lost fellow All Black Ali Williams inside the first half hour when he suffered a lower leg injury.
Winger Anthony Tuitavake scored a brilliant individual try, turning two defenders inside out before fending off the final cover tackler, while Onosa'i Auva'a and Michael Hobbs also crossed for five-pointers.
Fly-half Jimmy Gopperth added two conversions and a penalty for the Blues, who were thrashed 63-34 by the Waikato Chiefs last week.
"We were just a bit unfortunate today, sometimes you don't get things go your way...but it was a big step up from last week," Auckland captain Keven Mealamu said.
