Blacks coach Rob Tynan had ­spoken midweek about the need for the Blacks to control more of the ball, and while he felt his side had been able to do that he lamented their inability to capitalise on their chances.

“We really should have scored a couple of tries in the first half, that would have put a whole different complexion on the game,” he said.

“If we stick our nose in front it would have been up to them to try and catch up where we ended up having to come from behind.

“On the other side, we came up with a number of turnovers inside their 22 and within three or four ­phases they were up the other end and scored.”

Despite going down 7-0 after just four minutes through a pushover try, his side were able to dominate field position for much of the first half.

A quick-thinking Jono O’Toole darted in after a quick tap from a penalty to help level scores, and Maitland would have gone in front if not for a wayward penalty goal attempt from flyhalf Joe Lavis.

But on the rare occasions when The Waratahs did foray into the Maitland 22 they were deadly, despite the absence of gun scrumhalf and player-coach Hayden Pedersen.

Both Marcus Boyle and Aufaga Lalaga crossed either side of a ­successful Lavis penalty goal for the home side to lead 21-10 at the break.

The second half was far more of an arm wrestle, and only late on when number eight Dylan Heins was yellow-carded for repeated ruck infringements did Maitland ever look threatening.

Even with the one-man advantage, however, they failed to capitalise and it was The Waratahs who scored next through fullback Tim Riley.

Outside-centre James Johnston scrambled over to give the Blacks a consolation try but the home side again answered almost immediately through Adrian Curry to seal the 18-point win.

The loss was compounded by an ankle injury to fullback Josh McCormack in the second half.

Maitland travel to Lake Macquarie next week, and Tynan was confident his side would rebound.

“In general the boys just need to keep whacking away at it, and it will come,”

“We’re not that far off – we know we’re a side that must take our opportunities because we don’t get too many.

“It’s a fact of life – when the chances are there we must take them and score, and that might turn the pressure around on the other teams.”

Maitland fared better in the lower grades, with second-grade winning 45-14, third-grade 17-10 and colts snaring a come-from-behind 31-29 win.

In other premier grade round seven action, Wanderers maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 26-16 win over Hamilton, while Southern Beaches, Nelson Bay and Lake Macquarie also recorded wins.