The NSW Waratahs continue to roll, cruising away to a 34-10 win over the Western Force at Allianz Stadium.
It was a strong night for the NSW side in a scrappy contest, launching last year's wooden spooners into the top two.
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So what did we learn?
Out of all the results expected from this season, the Waratahs being top two heading into the final game of round four was low on the list.
They delivered on Dan McKellar’s criticism to close out their lead in the second half as they didn’t give the Force a chance to make the game tight.
The Queensland Reds have the chance to leapfrog them with a win over the Crusaders, with only a blowout taking them to top spot.
Regardless of the result, it sets up a must-watch Saturday next week at Suncorp Stadium.
Max Jorgensen continues to make his name known as one of the hardest-working wingers in the game.
It’s an excellent sign of development for a young winger, typified by his excellent work to ready the intercept opportunity and sprint away for his second try.
His opener was also quality, beating fellow Wallaby Dylan Pietsch to find his way over the line. However, he was denied a quality hat-trick when his chip and chase was brought back for a forward pass.
Jorgensen’s place in the Wallabies set-up has never been clearer, even as the quality of the competition rises.
The Waratahs, most notably captain Jake Gordon, have several injury concerns heading into next week’s derby with the Queensland Reds.
Gordon was troubled by a knee injury just after the half-hour mark and couldn’t continue, as seen on the sidelines icing the injury.
Coach Dan McKellar believes it’s a medial ligament, which could see Gordon on the sidelines for a number of weeks if it’s a high-grade
He was followed off by powerhouse Langi Gleeson, with the number eight limping off minutes later with what's expected to be just a cork.
The Force have their own issues, with Dylan Pietsch succumbing to a knee injury just after half-time.
Carlo Tizzano is showing up all the outside backs with his try-scoring heroics, making it five straight games for the Force.
It includes two doubles as he pounced on a great run from Darcy Swain to go top of the try-scoring table clearly.
Tizzano’s attacking development has been a big growth area of his game as he competes with Fraser McReight, one of the best in the world.
The flanker was kept relatively quiet around the breakdown, but his ability to impact the game elsewhere is critical.
The state of the turf was a big concern for both teams as it ripped apart throughout the night.
It’s been a busy weekend in the Moore Park precinct, with the Roosters-Broncos game on Thursday noticeably leaving patches that were clearly visible after the doubleheader.
The Waratahs and the ground will enjoy a week off as they head to Brisbane, with no NRL on the ground until the end of the month.
