Rugby Australia has thrown a lot at the Waratahs, but probably not as much as what Dan McKellar wanted to throw at the coaches’ box window on Friday.

The Waratahs were flat-out poor at the start of the game, and while the fluffed restarts in the second half added another layer of frustration, the guilty parties (Langi Gleeson and Miles Amatosero) should get a pass because at least they showed the requisite hunger levels for the rest of the game.

In contrast to McKellar, former Tahs coach Rob Penney was almost a picture of serenity in the Crusaders’ box - for very good reason. Penney is the first to admit that senior Crusaders such as David Havili have a massive influence within that team, telling the coaches what the group needs each week. McKellar has an enormous challenge building and developing a similar group in NSW, although Matt Phillip and Pete Samu should help next year.

The most noticeable thing about James O’Connor this year has been how light he looks on........

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