The Waratahs' first game of 2025 was supposed to be all about debutant Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii -- but the fans who made their way to Allianz Stadium on Friday night were left chanting a far lesser-known name: Siosifa Amone.
The replacement prop proved the hero for NSW after a thrilling second half where the skill of both sides didn't always match their endeavour, while the Waratahs and Highlanders were both guilty of key lapses of awareness and ill-discipline.
In the end, though, it was the Waratahs who came away with the four competition points when Amone grabbed his second second-half five-pointer to outshine Suaalii, who had earlier helped lay on the Waratahs' third try. Replacement fly-half Jack Bowen was left with the simplest of conversions to complete the 37-36 win, though referee Angus Gardner took more than a minute to officially call time thereafter.
"I've been asked about the players who no one knows about, and Siosifa Amone, two tries off the bench, but good contributions in other areas apart from the tries," Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said of his unlikely hero.
"Body-comp [composition] wise, he's dropped 24 kilos; he didn't look like a Super Rugby player in September, now he looks like a good one."
While Amone finished the toast of Allianz Stadium, the 16,000-strong crowd had largely come to get a glimpse of Suaalii. The former Sydney Roosters centre enjoyed a solid night when he was a constant aerial target for the Waratahs, but more often than not he came back to earth without the ball on what was a typically humid Sydney night in February. Suaalii was replaced on 67 minutes because of cramp, with Friday night's outing his first since the Wallabies' loss to Ireland last year.
McKellar cut a relieved figure at the post-match press conference, praising the determination of his side and their ability to find a way to win at the death.
"We spoke pre-game about having belief in each other, the boys were nervous, and there was a lot of pressure on young blokes' shoulders after the last couple of years," McKellar told reporters. "As coaches we've got to relieve that pressure and we said 'just believe in yourselves'.
"And we've spoken about being a team that wants to fight for 80 minutes, and the last passage of play there, we were far from perfect. But the nice thing is that there are some harsh learnings that we can review off the back of the win, but really proud of their belief and their fight at the end, and I thought our finishers were excellent."
McKellar did however lament a handful of poor Waratahs moments, one of complete sleepiness, in particular, that cost his side seven second-half points.
"I thought in patches defensively [we delivered], but it was in patches; there were a couple of sets before halftime where we were really physical and had that mindset that we were going to get the ball back," McKellar explained.
"But obviously there were some patches in the second half where we just clocked off; that try off the quick lineout, that's just purely unacceptable at this level. So we'll knock that on the head really quick."
There were 10 lead changes, nine in the second half alone, as the game opened up completely after the break; fatigue no doubt playing a factor, particularly for the hosts, who had just the one proper trial match compared with the Highlanders' two.
The visitors had earlier built a 12-3 lead after a try against the run of play from winger Caleb Tangitau, who was the fortunate recipient of a pin-ball exchange following an aerial raid that saw Suaalii knock the ball back, and then a second through skipper Timoci Tavatavanawai.
The Waratahs scrambled the lead for the first time right on the stroke of the siren, with Edmed's second penalty goal, which had followed a try to Rob Leota, who was also making his debut after a move north from now defunct Melbourne Rebels. The Highlanders had already seen Mitchell Dunshea yellow-carded for head contact on Dave Porecki, but they would go to the break down a second man after Tangitau infringed just as the Waratahs looked set to score under the sticks.
Suaalii had also had a hand in the break that saw Joey Walton go close to scoring, but he won't want to see the pass that drifted beyond Lalakai Foketi again, the youngster's blushes spared when it sat up fortunately for his inside centre instead.
The second half descended into near complete chaos as the two sides went try for try, the Waratahs first on the board through Porecki from a lineout drive before Veveni Lasaqa responded for the visitors. Next up was Waratahs winger Max Jorgensen, who finished off some slick work from Suaalii in the build-up, only for that five-pointer to be wiped off by Tangitau's second, when NSW were caught napping from the quick lineout throw.
Amone, on the field for another offseason recruit, Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou, ensured the home fans didn't have to wait long for the response as he peeled round the front of the lineout, catching the Highlanders napping just as they had the Waratahs only minutes earlier.
That set the stage for a grandstand finish, one the Highlanders looked set to enjoy the better of when Sefo Kautai finished off a powerful raid that began back beyond halfway, the former Brumbies prop barging his way over from close range with eight minutes to play.
But on the back of a penalty, the Waratahs rumbled their way into position, sucking in Highlanders defenders with a succession of tight carries, before Amone swung round the side of the right upright to grab his second.
Just last year, the Waratahs had missed a similarly dramatic victory over the Highlanders when Edmed pulled what would have been a match-winning penalty wide of the posts. It was the story of an utterly forgettable 2024 for NSW. But the scenes could not have been more different at Allianz Stadium on Friday, and McKellar and his team will rip into their bye week full of positivity as a result.
Just as Suaalii was able to blow out the cobwebs, the Waratahs' other key recruits Leota and Tupou were able to do the same. The Wallabies prop got through 56 minutes and while his impact was limited around the paddock, he was a key cog in what was a dominant Waratahs scrum.
Leota, meanwhile, went the distance in what was his first real game since last year's Super Rugby season, the former Rebels skipper combining stoutly in an impressive back-row that also got plenty out of Langi Gleeson, despite some handling errors, and the tireless Charlie Gamble.
Porecki was another who will be thankful for the hit-out, one of the Wallabies' 2023 Rugby World Cup skippers playing his first game since that tournament after an Achilles injury denied him the chance to play any rugby last year.
The Highlanders were gallant, unlucky even, with coach Jamie Joseph and skipper Tavatavanawai both believing they had done enough to earn a penalty from Gardner during the Waratahs' match-winning attacking raid. Generally regarded as one of the weaker New Zealand franchises this season, the Highlanders proved they will be anything but pushovers.
And so, with the four points just barely secure but now safely stashed away on the Super Rugby Pacific ledger, the Waratahs can look to their date with the Fijian Drua back at the same venue in two weeks' time.
The Waratahs were far from perfect -- they were never going to be in week one. But already the narrative is different to their wretched 2024 -- and there may just be a few-thousand more bums on seats in a fortnight as a result.
They'll be back to Suaalii, and without doubt now Amone, too.