‘A real grind’: Waratahs keep season alive by winning ugly against Highlanders

The Waratahs’ season is still alive. Easily, in fact, if you look at the ladder. Darren Coleman’s men are now flying in sixth but it could have been an entirely different story.

In many ways, it should have been.

A try in the 79th minute to replacement hooker Mahe Vailanu in tight and a pressure-cooker conversion from Ben Donaldson saw the Waratahs seal a tense 21-20 victory over the Highlanders in Sydney.

“It was a tight contest,” Waratahs captain Jake Gordon said.

“It sort of went ...