Waratahs' knife-edge win too much for Cheika to bear A jubilant NSW Waratahs five-eighth Bernard Foley after kicking the winning penalty in the dying stages of yesterday's win over the Blues at Allianz Stadium. MICHAEL Cheika could not bear to watch. NSW Waratahs had come from 24-10 down at half-time against the Blues at Allianz Stadium in Sydney yesterday to put themselves in a position to win with an attempt at penalty goal after the siren by five-eighth Bernard Foley. With the score locked at 27-all Blues second-rower Culum Retallick had been caught offside. As Foley lined up the kick from 35m, the coach stayed in the tunnel, not looking, but the roar of the 16,429 crowd, the Waratahs' biggest this season, told him it had gone over. It gave the Waratahs a morale-boosting 30-27 win after they lost three of their first four games this season. "The game is on fine margins," Cheika said. You don't get carried away, but I thought we played a lot better. We played some really good footy in attack and our defence is improving every week. Cheika, who urged the players to lift the pace of the game at the break, said the Waratahs showed courage to come back in the second half. "People wouldn't have been running down to the betting shop with offers to put on us at half-time," Cheika said. With both teams scoring three tries apiece in the brilliant afternoon sunshine, the perfect goalkicking of Foley (4 from 4) and injured halfback Brendan McKibbin (two from two) proved the difference. The Blues outscored the Waratahs three tries to one in the first half, the 14-point margin was their biggest half-time deficit in a home game since 2007. Blues five-eighth Chris Noakes opened the scoring with a penalty goal in the second minute after Waratahs hooker John Ulugia failed to release the tackled player. Waratahs winger Drew Mitchell scored the first try of the game in the sixth minute following a beautifully executed move from a lineout. The Blues replied almost straight away with a try to hooker James Parsons. McKibbin levelled the score 10-all with a penalty goal in the 22nd minute after the Blues were caught offside in their 22. In a controversial moment, Argentine referee Francesco Pastrana ordered a 30-second water break after McKibbin's goal, which upset Cheika, who had told the official before the game he did not want the stoppage. Cheika challenged the decision, but was told the decision to have a break had been made on doctors' orders because of the hot conditions. The game is stopping far too much as it is. The time spent at scrums last week and this week was ridiculous. I feel for the crowd. Last week there was 21 minutes spent on scrums. Cheika would have been even more upset when Noakes strolled over in the 27th minute. Fullback Israel Folau got the Waratahs back into the game with a try in the 47th minute following a beautiful break by Foley. Foley missed a field goal from 30m out in the 78th minute, but was the hero after landing the match-winning penalty goal. NSW Waratahs 30 (I Folau, B Foley, D Mitchell tries; Foley 2, B McKibbin cons Foley 2, McKibbin pens) Blues 27 (C Noakes, J Parsons, C Piutau tries; Noakes 3 cons 2 pens) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Francesco Pastrana.