Playmaker Bernard Foley admits the Waratahs must be more clinical to keep their Super Rugby title hopes alive on their critical two-game spell in South Africa.
In the absence of suspended superstar Israel Folau, Super Rugby’s all-time leading try-scorer, the Waratahs have lacked a noticeable attacking edge in their past two games.
Foley got his side out of a hole with 16 second-half points in a plucky comeback win over the Melbourne Rebels before the Waratahs squandered a wealth of territory and possession in a costly home loss last week to the Sharks.
With just four wins from nine starts in 2019, last year’s semi-finalists have slipped out of the top eight and must beat the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday morning to keep in touch with Australia’s conference-leading Rebels.
And with Folau fighting to save his career at a Rugby Australia code of conduct hearing in Sydney on Saturday, Foley knows the Waratahs can no longer depend on their attacking trump card.
“We can’t rely as much upon individuals to break the game up or score those one-off tries,” Foley said on Friday.
“(Without Folau) we’re probably a bit more engaged and a connected unit and guys have really got to be nailing the detail, nailing the execution every time we get the opportunity.
“That’s probably something we’ve missed a little bit. We’ve had a lot of opportunities, a lot of chances and probably just lacking that through either ill-discipline, giving the ball up or a loose pass.
“We’ve got to be able to build pressure and capitalise when the opportunities arise.”
One opportunity Foley sees in South Africa is building camaraderie without Folau.
“It’s probably been a blessing getting away,” he said.
“I know personally I haven’t been distracted by it (the Folau drama) at all.
“I actually haven’t been up to date with it all, a lot of the stuff .. everyone wants to get back to just talking about footy.”
But even Foley expressed some sympathy for Folau, his Waratahs and Wallabies teammate since 2013. and said he had no doubt some players would have reached out to the dual international to wish him good luck at his code of conduct hearing.
“Izzy was a teammate for many years,” Foley said.
“The hearing’s going to run its course, I suppose, and then we’ll find out the procedure.
“So for us as a team, there’s not much we can do or say now at this stage that’s going to influence that.”