Waratahs set to stick with Donaldson over best mate Harrison at No.10

There appears to be a new playmaking pecking order at the Waratahs, with No.10 Ben Donaldson set to retain his starting spot ahead of best mate Will Harrison for Saturday’s clash against the Blues in Auckland.

While the Waratahs won’t name their starting XV until Thursday, sources with knowledge of the situation have told the Herald Donaldson will wear the NSW No.10 jersey for the fourth match in a row, with Harrison poised to come off the bench for the second time in as many weeks.

Will Harrison (left) and Ben Donaldson (right) with the Junior Wallabies in 2019. Credit:Brook Mitchell

It’s a significant show of faith in Donaldson following the Waratahs’ 64-48 loss to the Hurricanes at the SCG.

Donaldson, who played just 76 minutes across seven appearances off the bench last season, made his Waratahs starting debut against the Western Force in round nine of Super Rugby AU last month.

Donaldson’s chance against the Force and the Melbourne Rebels came due to Harrison being out with a hamstring injury.

Harrison was named on the bench against the Hurricanes last week on his return from injury and helped set up a fabulous team try courtesy of a chip and chase on the Waratahs’ line during a 15-minute cameo.

Ben Donaldson has showed promise during this three starts for the Waratahs. Credit:Waratahs Media

With both playmakers now match-fit, Waratahs coaches have picked Donaldson in the starting team over Harrison.

Donaldson and Harrison are both Randwick juniors and childhood best friends and honed their craft through countless hours of touch football on the beach and at Coogee Oval in the school holidays while growing up.

“We’re best mates and everyone knows we work hard together,” Donaldson said this week. “When one of us gets picked the other is just as stoked for us to be in that starting team. There’s no bad blood between us.”

There is a view that Harrison has been given enough chances. The Waratahs have won four of 20 matches when he has started.

Former coach Rob Penney was a big fan of Harrison’s, adamant he was the future of Australian rugby.

Waratahs co-coach Jason Gilmore mentored Harrison and Donaldson during the 2019 under-20 World Championship campaign.

In that tournament, Harrison was the team’s first-choice No.10, while Donaldson featured mostly on the bench. Could the pair be squeezed into the same XV?

“Definitely,” Donaldson said. “We both know each other’s games so well. 10-12 or 10-15, wherever we may slot into those roles. I’d love for that to happen. Harro has played a bit of 12.”

Harrison was picked in a larger than normal Wallabies squad last year but was not invited back for a camp in April.

The Waratahs face another daunting assignment this week against a Blues team who thumped the Melbourne Rebels 50-3 on Saturday.

While the Waratahs scored freely in the 64-48 loss to the Hurricanes, their defensive performance prompted an all-too-familiar “honest” review session at Waratahs headquarters on Monday.

The team is staring down a 10th straight loss, which would be the worst run in the franchise’s 25-year history.

“We let in 64 points which isn’t good enough. It’s kind of embarrassing when you hear it like that,” Donaldson said.

“It is tough. We’re all here to win. We all hate losing. Growing up a lot of these boys have had success coming through the colts and the 20s and Shute Shield. I think we’ve got to be patient. As much as we need to win now … I think if we keep working hard out on the paddock, the results can come.”

Meanwhile, Northern Suburbs winger James Turner could make his Waratahs debut, with speculation he could come onto the wing in place of Mark Nawaqanitawase.

Turner has caught the eye of Waratahs coaches in recent weeks in the Shute Shield and was brought into a wider NSW training squad.

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