Scrappy Waratahs battle past stubborn Blues

New South Wales Waratahs have overcome a night of dreadful handling to defeat a stubborn Blues outfit in Sydney.



The defending champions were a shadow of the side that looked so impressive against the Brumbies last week as they spurned a number of excellent try-scoring opportunities in the 12-point win.

Referee Jaco Peyper earned the ire of the home fans as he blew 22 penalties but Waratahs coach Michael Cheika was reluctant to blame the whistle-blower for his side's disjointed display.



"I think the crowd just wanted us to score.

That's pretty normal.

I wanted us to score as well…