In a significant setback for their ambitions of a late-season finals push, emerging Waratahs prop Daniel Botha has been cited prior to their crucial match against the Western Force on Friday night.
The 24-year-old was officially cited on Monday morning for “dangerous contact” with Crusaders lock Antonio Shalfoon during the second half of the Waratahs’ 35-20 defeat on Friday.
The incident occurred in the 61st minute, as Botha rushed in late at a ruck in an attempt to clear the second-rower away from the ball.
Following the contact, Shalfoon was seen briefly recovering while holding his head.
Botha’s hearing is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Waratahs prop Daniel Botha. Getty
Waratahs coach Dan McKellar will be anxious for Botha to avoid any penalties following the 24-year-old’s recent strong form.
Having previously played in the shadow of Taniela Tupou last season, Botha has now been McKellar’s go-to tight-head prop for most of this year.
Although Sifa Amone started ahead of Botha last week, the change was largely due to squad rotation and the goal of finishing strong alongside regular loose-head prop Tom Lambert.
Amone faced challenges in his initial game in the No.3 shirt, as he and the Waratahs’ scrum struggled against the Crusaders’ formidable front-row, which features multiple All Blacks.
A potential suspension would not only deprive the Waratahs of their top scrummaging prop, but it could also impede the team’s capacity to produce quick, clean ball from set-piece plays.
This could be particularly detrimental, especially with McKellar set to welcome back Wallabies star Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii into the starting line-up after a two-month layoff due to a hamstring injury for Friday night’s encounter against the Force.
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Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is poised to return against the Western Force on Friday. Getty
His anticipated comeback is timely, as the Waratahs have slipped to eighth place in the Super Rugby standings, now sitting on 19 points following their 15-point defeat to the Crusaders, which leaves them four points behind the sixth-placed Queensland Reds.
McKellar highlighted that Suaalii would provide a significant boost to the team, having not played since suffering a hamstring injury in the warm-up before their match against the Hurricanes in early March.
“His presence, leadership, and defensive skills are invaluable,” McKellar remarked about the former NRL star Suaalii.
“And to get him the ball in open space is crucial… he offers a big, abrasive point of difference.”
“He’s a player we’ve sorely missed. Out of the 23 games so far, he’s only featured in eight.”
“I hope we can reverse that trend to help us achieve our goals.”
His likely return is also a marketing bonus, as Suaalii will face his former NSW Blues teammate, Zac Lomax.
Lomax, who made his debut earlier this month against the Drua, experienced a successful starting debut against the Crusaders in just his second outing, scoring a try and assisting on another during the come-from-behind victory.
He was also targeted several times by the Force, with Simon Cron’s side likely to exploit the Waratahs’ smaller backline in Sydney.
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