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Luke Burgess of the Waratahs - Source: Photosport -
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A newly shorn Drew Mitchell spearheaded a record-breaking NSW
effort as the Waratahs answered their critics with a 73-12
thrashing of the Lions in the Super 14 rugby clash at Sydney
Football Stadium on Friday.
Mitchell became the first Waratah to score four tries in a Super
game and NSW also logged their best tally of 11 tries and eight
conversions, all kicked by inside centre Berrick Barnes.
The team tally exceeded the Waratahs' previous Super best of 53
points and eclipsed their former competition-best winning margin of
47.
Widely lambasted for a dour display in their season home opener
against the Sharks, the Waratahs took just half an hour to earn a
bonus point and scored five first-half tries to canter to a 33-5
halftime lead.
They scored six more in the second half against a Lions team that
showed little appetite for defence, with winger Lachie Turner and
replacement halfback Josh Holmes both finishing with two
tries.
NSW showed a willingness to attack from deep and take quick taps
and kick for touch and didn't take a single penalty shot for
goal.
Mitchell, who was boasting a shiny pate after a visit to the barber
earlier in the day, did some cutting of his own, frequently slicing
through the Lions defence.
He terrorised the Lions, though he did gift them a first half try
to opposing winger Tonderai Chavhanga after he failed to ground a
kick in his in goal area.
The Waratahs' rampage was set up by strong forward work by skipper
Phil Waugh, making a NSW record 119th appearance, and fellow
flanker Dave Dennis along with locks Dean Mumm and Kane
Douglas.
Mitchell crashed over from a tap penalty in the sixth minute before
gifting Chavhanga hs five-pointer.
The Waratahs responded in the 10th minute with flanker Dean Mumm
intercepting a chip kick from Lions five-eighth Carlos Spencer and
running almost 40 metres for his team's second try.
Mumm, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and prop Benn Robinson all featured
in the build up to the third try scored by centre Tom Carter.
The try-scoring bonus point was chalked up on the half hour mark
when winger Lachie Turner crossed following a break by No.8 Wycliff
Palu and a kick from five-eighth Daniel Halangahu.
Mitchell, who beat three defenders in another sensational run and
also pulled off some strong tackles, added the fifth try following
a lineout from a penalty kick to touch.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Palu opening
proceedings after he took a cross field kick from Barnes on the
bounce.
Mitchell scored the next two five-pointers, one from a 60-metre run
before replacement prop JP Janse van Rensburg crossed for the
Lions.
NSW piled on three tries in the last 10 minutes, two to replacement
halfback Josh Holmes and one to Turner.
NSW WARATAHS 73 (Drew Mitchell 4, Josh Holmes
2, Lachlan Turner 2, Tom Carter, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu tries
Berrick Barnes 9 cons)
LIONS 12 (Tonderai Chavhanga, Janse van Rensburg
tries Burton Kenvin Francis con)
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