An hour or so after the Waratahs had downed the Western Force at Allianz Stadium, coach Dan McKellar was asked if one of the more pleasing things had been seeing his team subdue the Force in the physical contest.
With Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt watching and wearing a wide grin, both sides hurled kitchen sinks at the other in the first half before the Waratahs got on top in the second, pushed on and dominated the ill-disciplined Force.
Physicality is an art, McKellar said, that requires training, and they’d done plenty of that over summer, on grass and on the sweaty mats of a Botany dojo. And even in midweek sessions, too.
“Like, you can’t just flick a switch on Saturday at 7.30 and all of a sudden become a physical team,” McKellar said.
“You know, we’re not full noise or live for big periods of the week, but you have to prepare for it. And we do that across the course of the pre-season, and we’ll touch on it every week. The game is won and lost around the collision area. That’s the reality. So you need to be good at it if you want to win games.”
You can’t run from confrontation, either, and McKellar’s next answer was a clear sign he doesn’t plan to this week, when the Waratahs meet the Reds in an old-fashioned grudge match between rivals.
Waratahs coach Dan McKellar.Credit: Getty Images
McKellar was asked to confirm a throwaway line he’d used minutes earlier when asked about the Reds as a next-up challenge. Did you say before they are the best team in the comp at the moment?
“Yeah, I did say that, yeah,” McKellar repeated.
“If you press rewind and have a look on the vision, I said the Reds are the best team in the comp.”
Is that just a little early shot ahead of next weekend?
“You take it how you want to take it,” McKellar said, with a wink.
Nicholas Champion de Crespigny of the Force is tackled by the Waratahs.Credit: Getty Images
You can’t just flick a rivalry switch on Saturday night, either. And although he made his name as a Brumbies coach, McKellar was a Queensland prop in his playing days, and he grew up on tales of the hate for sky blue at Ballymore.
Like when in the days when team training uniforms weren’t a thing and Sam Scott-Young wore a swapped NSW jersey to Queensland training, in the week of a Tahs game. Tim Horan tells the story of watching John Connolly order him to take it off, getting out a BIC lighter and then burning it.
The hoary, good-old-days are long gone, but in comments that will be spun up as stirring the pot and putting pressure on Queensland and coach Les Kiss, McKellar is actually setting the stage for his players: this will be the biggest game of your year, so far. Train for it.
Darby Lancaster celebrates scoring a try.Credit: Getty Images
“We’re going to have to go to another level with our training, with our recovery, everything. Going up to Suncorp, it’s a tough place to win,” he said.
Whether Queensland are the best in the competition or not remains to be seen. But exactly how good the Waratahs are in 2025 will be much clearer by the end of next weekend.
So far, it’s still a little murky. The Tahs have won three from three, and sit near the top of the Super Rugby ladder – which is rarefied air given they dwelled in the cellar last year.
But they’ve also played all their games at home and, some will argue, against sides who will struggle to play finals footy. So for many, there are still more questions than answers – and that includes McKellar.
“We won’t be falling in love with ourselves after tonight, or the first three games,” McKellar said.
“I’m looking at the Chiefs and others. Anyone can beat anyone at the moment. But our challenge will come when we go away from home. Winning at home is nice, but winning away from home, they’re the really special memories.”
On paper, the job of beating Queensland away next week will be a bit tougher with captain Jake Gordon and barnstorming No.8 Langi Gleeson both in doubt, after coming off injured against the Force. The Tahs are already without Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, big lock Miles Amatosero and veteran centre Lalakai Foketi.
But on grass, those losses don’t appear to matter a whole lot in a Waratahs squad that is growing impressive depth. One of the most notable parts of the win over the Force was the performances of those trusted to play in the place of the injured: Jack Grant, Ben Grant, Leafi Talataina, Andrew Kellaway, Henry O’Donnell and Joey Walton.
All excelled, and only one is a Wallaby. So far.
“We want to be a team that doesn’t rely on individuals,” McKellar said.
Watch all the action from the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season on Stan Sport, the only place to watch every match ad-free, live and on demand.
