'Defended like demons': Waratahs STUN Chiefs in epic Super Rugby upset as Suaalii, Kellaway star

Smashed across the ditch over consecutive weeks, the NSW Waratahs responded emphatically on Friday night by taking down the previously ladder-leading Chiefs 21-14 in Sydney to keep their season well and truly alive.

The Waratahs were forced to defend 28 phases at the death, before a double knock-on ended an incredible evening at the Sydney Football Stadium more than five minutes into stoppage time.

Despite being on the end of an 18-5 penalty count, making almost more than 100 tackles than their opponents and having two tries overruled in the first half, Dan McKellar’s side showed the grit missing over the past month to suggest they can still feature in the finals despite a daunting second half of the season.

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The three-tries-to-two win had the 14,278 fans on the edge of their seats as chants of NSW bellowed around the stadium in the dying minutes.

Multi-million dollar recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was at the heart of the win, scoring his first try in Waratahs colours and combining in a strong back three combination alongside Andrew Kellaway and Triston Reilly.

Kellaway, in particular, had a night to remember as he played his part in an incredible coast-to-coast try that saw rising halfback Teddy Wilson score one of the most spectacular tries in recent Waratahs memory.

In total, the Waratahs made 231 tackles to the Chiefs’ 134, with first-year Waratahs flanker and former England sevens playmaker Jamie Adamson making 27 tackles.

TRY OF THE SEASON? TRY OF THE DECADE?! ????

The Waratahs go end-to-end over 100 metres in one of the best team tries you will ever see ????#SuperRugbyPacific | #WARvCHI pic.twitter.com/Oe5tjYssjW — Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) April 11, 2025

It was however a forgettable night for the other headline act of the evening, with All Blacks star Damian McKenzie enduring one of the worst performances of his career after making seven knock-ons.

“They were decent. We knew exactly what they were going to bring,” McKenzie said.

“I let our team down tonight, it’s just not good enough by my standards. When you do it against a good team like the Tahs, particularly at home, so I’m extremely disappointed in my performance.”

The playmaker’s horror show was part of a forgettable night for the Chiefs, who made 18 errors and couldn’t make anything work on a perfect evening for running rugby.

Indeed, the visitors, who are known for their bruising physicality and freakish skills, were flat as a tack.

There’s no doubt the Waratahs’ defence played a part in the Chiefs’ struggles, who looked like they were still at the beach after enjoying a trip across the Tasman from Hamilton.

Outgoing Chiefs coach tipped his hat to the Waratahs’ defence, saying they “defended like demons”.

The defeat could prove an incredibly costly one for the Chiefs though, who slipped dropped behind the Crusaders after their New Zealand rivals beat the Hurricanes earlier on Friday.

The seven-point win saw the Waratahs entrench themselves in the top six, moving into fourth on 21 points – seven points behind the Crusaders.

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