Waratahs outside centre Izaia Perese set up one of the tries of the season against Moana Pasifika at Mt Smart Stadium only for the try to be ruled out after a TMO review.
The Wallaby midfielder put through a grubber kick on the outside of his right foot while running right-to-left, before regathering in the Moana Pasifika backfield down a five metre corridor on the left hand touch line.
Veering back inside, Perese broke through two tackles from Christian Lealiifano and Henry Taefu before handing a one hand offload to Dylan Pietsch, who raced away to score in the corner.
Perese’s involvement in the sequence was mesmerising but the brilliant assist was cruelly ruled out after the officials went back to review the passage of play back when Moana Pasifika had possession.
In a twist of good fortune for Moana Pasifika, winger Timoci Tavatavanawai put a foot in touch on the opposite side of the field before throwing an offload field which should have stopped play for a line out.
Was this the best try that never was?! 😫#SuperRugbyPacific #MOAvWAR pic.twitter.com/yv939aI7h3
— RUGBYcomau (@rugbycomau) May 7, 2022
The incredible try was disallowed and the Waratahs oddly handed a line out over halfway.
Izaia Perese. Heads up rugby. Brilliant.
— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) May 7, 2022
The AR clearly had his flag up there so not sure why that phase of play wasn't stopped straight away? Some more brilliance from Izaia Perese snuffed out either way. #MOAvWAR
— Tom Vinicombe (@TomVinicombe) May 7, 2022
42' | #MOAvWAR
WOW that could've been try of the season!
Perese kick n chase, collects, beats the defender then offloads to Pietsch for the try, disallowed by TMO for a heel on the line by Moana when they were in posession.MOANA 17 – 14 WARATAHS#SkysTheLimit 💙🏉
— NSW Waratahs (@NSWWaratahs) May 7, 2022
Perese was one of the best players on the field, continuing his destructive form after putting on a try assist last week against the Crusaders.
Early in the match he combined with scrumhalf Jake Gordon to score the Waratahs first try of the game from a scrum play.
Too easy for Perese putting the @NSWWaratahs on the board ⚡️ #MOAvWAR #SuperRugbyPacific pic.twitter.com/IYoKKqNAXw
— RUGBYcomau (@rugbycomau) May 7, 2022
Moana Pasifika were fast starters getting out to a 20-14 lead but the Waratahs were able to climb back into the game following a yellow card to wing Tima Fainga’anuku in the 53rd minute.
The Waratahs showed composure to secure their first win in New Zealand since 2015 with a 26-20 win.
Former Waratah Sekope Kepu, now with Moana Pasifika, believed the side has come a long way under new head coach Darren Coleman.
“I’ve followed them since I left and just watch them closely and the work they’ve done this year compared to last year. They’ve come leaps and bounds from there under DC,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“They’re a young squad and this is their second year together, I guess, and they’ve done really well and I’m sure they’ll get a lot of confidence out of tonight and move forward to next week.
“They’re my second team, I guess. From my end, just disappointed that we didn’t get the win tonight but we’ll learn from that and do better next week.”
