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The Waratahs have pledged to "never change" their running style, even for finals, in the belief attack cannot only trump negative rugby but it's what fans want as well.
The Tahs certainly satisfied their supporters on Saturday night with a rousing victory over the in-form Hurricanes, shrugging off an early 17-point deficit to run in a five-try performance.
It was a shackle-dispensing effort after a month of footy for the Tahs wherer they averaged just one try per game, and the bonus-point win kept their finals aspirations alive heading into the points void of a bye week.
Patience in attack finally cut down the crippling mistakes of the past weeks but the Tahs' free-flowing game was helped, it must be said, by a Hurricanes team with the same mindset who barely contested the breakdown all night. Both teams ran for over 700m.
Many teams in world rugby currently opt for the flip side tactically — kicking more than running, using defence to build pressure and waiting for mistakes to punish attacking adventure — but NSW coach Michael Cheika said the Tahs will never be one of them.
"We will never change it. This is the way we play the game," Cheika said.
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"If the trend is away from attacking rugby, as I think the Hurricanes have as well, to play against the trend and just try and get so good at it, that we can be competitive against the penalties and kicking style of game that tries to trap you.
"It is very difficult for us to try and play any other way, we don't have long-range kickers. Balance, yes, but there is no way we are going to go away from what our identity tells us how we are going to play the game.
"It's about decision making … when to show em and when to hold em.
"When you play how we want to play … where you attack a lot, errors can come in. It's just the nature of that style. There is a lot of pressure in these games every week, and you are not going to do it perfectly every time."
As the playoffs approach, there is an element of gamesmanship in the comments of Cheika, who weighs his words carefully and would prefer rivals forget the Tahs can and did play pragmatically to beat the Stormers and Bulls.
As the Chiefs and Crusaders have shown, title-winners must be able to play both games.
Faced with the option of playing to shut down the Canes or to try and outgun them, the Waratahs spoke during the week about keeping faith in their attacking mindset and they did so.
After a week where public backing for Cheika from Waratahs head office was conspicuously absent following his stinging slap-down by the SANZAR judiciary, the win was an emphatic statement of support from the players.
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Cheika said the team's intention to keep running the ball was equally motivated by the desire to both win and deliver for the Waratahs' supporters.
"That's what our supporters want as well, That's part of it too," Cheika said.
"I know winning is everything. But there are 16,000-17,000 people that come out here every week to support us, that want us to play like that and that's how we're going to play."
Cheika praised the "maturity" of halves Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps, who he said stood up as leaders of the team in steering NSW back from 24-7 early in the first half.
"We showed a bit more patience," Foley said.
"In the last couple of weeks we have thought every line break or every time we get in (behind the defence), we have to score a try. That hasn't been happening. (Against the Hurricanes) the maturity was there to know lets hang onto the ball and next phase we'll get them."
A bye week is timely for the Waratahs, who have some injury concerns. Jacques Potgieter (leg) and Tatafu Polota-Nau (abdominals) both left the field and will be assessed today.
Cheika said he would not be appealing the suspended six-month ban given to him last week for abusing a cameraman in South Africa.
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