Taqele Naiyaravoro has powered the NSW Waratahs to the top of the Australian conference with a dominant man-of-the-match display in their historic Super Rugby showdown against the Queensland Reds.
The Reds, like most opposition teams in 2018, found Naiyaravoro unstoppable as the tearaway winger bagged another try-scoring double in the Waratahs' 37-16 bonus-point victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday night.
Naiyaravoro's second-half brace blew an otherwise dour derby wide open, took his tally to seven five-pointers in four games and thrust NSW into the box seat in the Australian conference at the halfway point of the competition.
"He's continuing to be the difference for us out on that left flank," Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said.
"When we give him in the ball in the right moments with a bit of space, he's finishing well.
"So I'm really pleased for him. We talked about it a lot during the week. He's lost his weight, he's performing, so it's pretty easy equation for me."
With Melbourne crashing to a 25-22 home loss to the Jaguares earlier on Saturday, the Waratahs soared above the Rebels on the ladder with their fourth straight win and eighth successive victory over the Reds.
The Waratahs enjoyed three times as much possession as the Reds in the opening half-hour but poor ball control kept the visitors in the contest in the first Super rugby clash ever staged at the iconic ground.
Naiyaravoro dropped the ball over the line before Bernard Foley was unable to contain a long ball from Bryce Hegarty with a try beckoning.
It wasn't until Jake Gordon dived over three minute before halftime - the halfback backing up Michael Wells after Hegarty feigned to kick and ran the ball instead to send the No.8 racing down the right wing - that the Waratahs were able to open their try-scoring account.
Foley's conversion plus two penalties earned the home team a 13-6 lead at the break.
James Tuttle's penalty of the night pulled the Reds within four points early in the second half before Naiyaravoro made his mark.
He raced 60m to score untouched in the 48th minute after gleefully snapping up a wayward pass from Reds five-eighth Jono Lance.
The try only briefly gave his side some breathing space.
As promising Waratahs attacking raids continued to break down through sloppy execution, a try against the run of play to winger Filipo Daugunu - following his interception of a Foley pass - dragged the Reds back into the match with 20 minutes remaining.
But Naiyaravoro clinched victory when he crashed over eight minutes from fulltime before a last-gasp try to replacement prop Harry Johnson-Holmes earned the Waratahs a bonus point.
