NSW Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh said his side's failure to reach the semi-finals of the Super 14 competition was not down to negative tactics.

The Waratahs missed out on reaching the last four of the competition despite winning more games than the fourth-placed Crusaders, finishing on the same number of points as the Cantabrians but an agonising four points lower on for and against differential.

But Waugh, back in Sydney after the `Tahs' three-game unbeaten run in South Africa, said it was missed opportunities that cost them, not negativity

"We gave ourselves opportunities to score points throughout the year," said Waugh.

"We would have scored four tries in most games had we taken the opportunities we created ... and had that been the case we would be in the finals."

The `Tahs became the first Australasian team to win three games in South Africa but despite finishing the season as the form horse, other results over the weekend conspired against them.

"The damage was done probably before we got over there," Waugh conceded.

"I thought 41 points would get us in but unfortunately it didn't, but we gave ourselves every opportunity.

"You can look back at the year and different turning points but that's sport, we have to move on ... to get 13 points out of Africa is a pretty big effort."

Waugh said he was hopeful he would be involved in Robbie Deans' Wallabies squad for the Tri Nations campaign, and said he wanted to keep playing club rugby for Sydney University instead of resting.

"We had a week off three weeks ago and I think the guys are good to go and keen to play club rugby ... it would have been nice to have another couple of weeks in this competition but it wasn't to be," he said.

Waugh also said he would like to see the rules changed in the Super 14 competition to reward teams who win more matches.

"The Crusaders lost one more game than us, but they got in the semi-finals but it has been in the competition since it started. That is the reality of it, you need to pick up points as you go along the way and we simply didn't pick up enough," he said.

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey pinpointed the 17-13 defeat at home to the Crusaders in March as the pivotal moment in his side's season but was pleased with how his players finished the campaign with three successive victories, including Friday's 38-33 win over the Lions in Johannesburg.

"The crucial game in hindsight was the Crusaders game which we felt we had opportunities to win but didn't quite finish them off ... this is such a tough competition and the margins are so fine," said Hickey.

"You learn a lot in the first year of the team and I think I have .. we have managed to re-sign 90 per cent of the squad which is a positive and a couple of recruitments will help us more next year."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP