Rugby-Waratahs put down Rebels to keep playoffs hopes alive

SYDNEY, May 21 (Reuters) - The New South Wales Waratahs kept their Super Rugby playoffs hopes alive with a bonus-point 50-23 win over the Melbourne Rebels at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday. Waratahs fullback Israel Folau was back to his dominant best, scoring a try in each half, with Nick Phipps, Dean Mumm, Ned Hanigan, Michael Hooper, Damien Fitzpatrick and Bryce Hegarty also crossing for the home side. Replacement back Jonah Placid scored a brace of tries in the second half for the Rebels, who battled hard but were overrun in the final quarter and slumped to their ninth loss of the season. The Waratahs' fourth win put them within four points of the ACT Brumbies, giving them hope of dislodging their Canberra rivals from atop the Australian conference and securing a playoff berth. The victory was marred by yellow cards to hooker Tolu Latu and Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley, and the Waratahs' indiscipline in the first half left captain Hooper fuming. But it was a tougher night for Rebels skipper Reece Hodge, who was knocked out cold in the second minute when trying to tackle hard-charging Wallabies fullback Folau. The young inside centre was taken from the field and played no further part. Five minutes later, Foley set up the Waratahs' first try to scrumhalf Phipps, who lunged over beneath the posts. The Waratahs squandered the promising start with a string of seven consecutive penalties that included Latu's sin-binning in the 17th minute. The Rebels capitalised, with number eight Amanaki Mafi plucking the ball from a scrum near the try-line and diving over to push the visitors to an 11-7 lead. Lock Mumm snatched back the advantage for the Waratahs on the half-hour mark, touching down at the left corner, before blindside flanker Hanigan grabbed the home side's third try. Folau scored his first try after the halftime hooter, with bulky Fijian winger Taqele Naiyaravoro smashing through tacklers to help the Waratahs to a 24-11 lead at the break. The Waratahs' momentum stalled briefly when Foley was binned for an intentional knock-on, allowing Placid to score his first try in the 49th minute. Folau barged through for his second four minutes later but Placid hit back again at the right corner to cut the Waratahs' lead to six points. Man-of-the-match Hooper crushed the uprising in the 67th minute, juggling a pass before controlling it during his charge over the line, with replacement hooker Fitzpatrick and flyhalf Hegarty grabbing the final tries to seal the win. (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by John O'Brien)