It's time the NSW Waratahs delivered, with coach Daryl Gibson accepting his side's Super Rugby season is on the line against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday night.
With just four wins and five bonus-point defeats - for losing by seven points or less - the Waratahs are running fourth in the cut-throat Australian conference with six games remaining before the finals.
While the Tahs only trail joint Australian conference leaders the Melbourne Rebels and ACT Brumbies by three competition points, Gibson says the time for gallant losses is over.
The Waratahs' biggest loss was by eight points to Sharks two weeks ago and Gibson said it was "absolutely" imperative the Waratahs starting closing out games if they wanted to feature at the pointy end of the competition.
"We've been in just about every close game we've played. The margins have been very small," he said.
"It''s really heartening that we are very competitive and there's a lot of fight in the team. Ostensibly we're a team that goes right to the end.
"But we're just haven't had that ability to kick on and win those tight contests, which are proving elusive at the moment."
In a boost for the Tahs, dynamic back-rower Michael Wells returns from a hamstring injury and will start at No.8, allowing Ned Hanigan to revert to his preferred blindside flanker role.
But Gibson has resisted rushing Wallabies prop Tom Robertson and hooker Tolu Latu back in to the starting side against a Lions outfit that has lost the past three finals.
Centre Lalakai Foketi will start for the first time this season as Gibson manages the workload of veteran Wallaby Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Waratahs: Kurtley Beale, Alex Newsome, Lalakai Foketi, Karmichael Hunt, Cam Clark, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Michael Wells, Michael Hooper (capt), Ned Hanigan, Rob Simmons, Tom Staniforth, Sekope Kepu, Damien Fitzpatrick, Harry Johnson-Holmes. Res: Tolu Latu, Tom Robertson, Chris Talakai, Hugh Sinclair, Will Miller, Jake Gordon, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Curtis Rona.
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