Possibly the happiest person from week one of Super Rugby Women will be Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp.
Some solid rugby was played. While the Waratahs clash with the Drua game was pretty scrappy – especially from a Tahs perspective – the Force-Brumbies game was a cracker. In both games, the physicality had gone up a level, likely a result of all teams having had a solid preseason. Case in point: the stunning hit on Georgina Friedrichs.
With no streaming of the trials, both matches highlighted how little we know about the teams. Some pundits – and we won’t name names – had put the Brumbies finishing fifth and the Waratahs first.
We now know that all bets are off. It is going to be very competitive, and the usual confidence in the Tahs seems a bit misplaced, considering the lineup due to injuries and the loss of experienced players in the offseason.
Things looked ominous when the Drua scored in the first ten seconds.
Josivini Naihamu of the Drua celebrates with teammates after scoring a try during round one of Super Rugby Women’s. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
They are hard enough to beat, even harder when they start well. While both teams each had 11 players from last season’s Grand Final and half a dozen debutants, from the start, the visitors were more confident and on a mission to get revenge.
As a result, the Tahs started on the backfoot, and with several new players, including a bunch of youngsters, it made it challenging. They did not have the experience and temperament to wrestle the game back until late in the second half.
Taking nothing away from the Drua’s performance – they were well-deserved winners. For the Tahs, it was a poor performance.
They could not get over the advantage line, the handling was less than average, the scrum was a shadow of last year’s, and the backline was clunky – with the Friedrichs-Maya Stewart combo the only part of the side asking questions of the visitors.
Out injured were Bella McKenzie, Desiree Miller, Caitlyn Halse, captain Piper Duck and – for the season – Atasi Lafai. All these key players for the Tahs lead the side, especially Duck and Lafai when it comes to the physicality. Toss in the offseason movements of Eva Karpani, Sera Naiqama and Layne Morgan, and it was clear their losses were going to have an impact.
Waiaria Ellis had her first start at fullback, and she looked amazingly confident considering her young age – often stepping in as first receiver to direct play. It was not a polished performance, and her kicking range needs work, but that will come with time.
A brand-new halves pairing in Tiarne Cavanagh on debut and Katrina Barker was a tough assignment against last year’s grand finalists – though the selection does make sense when you consider Cavanagh does have a decent boot and can kick goals – something sorely needed for the Tahs with both McKenzie and Miller out of action.
Alas, we did not get a proper look at Cavanagh, who copped an ankle injury very early on, but to her credit, she played on. In her debut, the forward pack did not help her cause.
The big hitters could not get over the advantage line, and most notably, the scrum was a problem.
The Drua did to the Tahs what the Tahs did all last season – hold the ball in, get the penalty advantage, then play on. The Tahs missed Karpani badly, and the loss of Brianna Hoy to an ACL injury was a major backup loss that exposed inexperience.
However, a big positive emerged in prop Faliki Pohiva, who had an enormous impact off the bench. Her physicality and ability to get over the advantage line changed everything for the home side. Wallaroo Adiana Talakai also made her return from injury off the bench – and critically, had a good stint.
It was not the Waratahs’ day. The younger players will be better for the experience, but they desperately need more experienced heads to return from injury – and this week’s match against the Force will be a real test.
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The Force have been regarded as one of the real heavyweights of the 2025 season, and based on the opening round, they will head east feeling pretty confident.
Sure, it might have been a draw, but the match played in the west between the Force and the Brumbies was a terrific game on all fronts.
From an Australian perspective, both teams played better than the Waratahs did the day before. It was a real battle in the set piece, with both forward packs taking it to each other. The ruck contest was phenomenal and showed the growth of Australian physicality – which will be music to the ears of Yapp.
No surprise that Ash Marsters was a nuisance all match and looked right at home at the Force. However, for all the talk, it was the women from Canberra who really impressed – and in reality, it was a game the Brumbies should have won.
The physical contest between the Force and Brumbies was a notable step up from previous clashes. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)
With most of the possession in the second half, they looked tight and cohesive – but were unable to convert it to points. A decision late in the match to turn down three points and go for the corner, only for no result, was a real moment that will be examined in the team prep meeting this week – even despite Faitila Moleka missing a conversion to win the game.
The Force improved last year and looks to have progressed even further this season. It was easy to forget the side had ten players make their debut because the side was remarkably cohesive, and the forwards packed a punch.
Their new recruits stood out – half Georgia Mcormick and her new pairing with flyhalf Grace Freeman were a particular highlight, Ash Marsters led the physicality, centre Cecilia Smith did well despite a yellow card, and Fijian sevens star Adi Vani Buleki is an ideal find for this side. She is going to cut a lot of teams to shreds.
Michaela Leonard coming off with an apparent collar bone injury was the major dampener for the weekend, and here is hoping it’ll only be a minimal injury, given her influence as captain will be vital for the Wallaroo World Cup campaign.
By comparison, the Brumbies looked slick and creative – a good reflection of so many of the playing group returning from 2024.
Moleka is a phenomenal talent – confident, with that trait of looking like she has time. Tabua Tuinakauvadra picked up where she left off last year with the Wallaroos, and if she keeps this form up it will be very hard to wrest the number eight position from her.
A returning Ella Ryan, who recently enjoyed a stint in the NRLW, had a solid game at half.
The real highlight, however, was the centre pairing of Merania Paraone and Harmony Ione, a welcome pairing to an area of the Brumbies game that had previously been a weakness.
Sammy Treherne. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)
Even better, the match was capped off with multiple siblings – it was mildly amusing to see Faitala Moleka’s younger sister Manua come on for the Brumbies, noting Faitala is only 20 years old. On the Force’s side, seeing Brandon Paenga-Amosa chatting to his sister Katalina, who played hooker and came off the bench for Brumbies, goes to prove that, on the women’s side of the game, these sides have the potential to kickstart a strong system of growth the Wallaroos – even better now that Stan is coming to the party a lot more, with the Saturday game also on 9Gem.
Lastly, the Reds played the Penina Pasifika development side and had a pretty comprehensive win, 60-7, but this weekend, they will face a high-flying Drua in Lautoka, one of the hardest places in the whole competition to win.
By all accounts, flyhalf Carys Dallinger enjoyed strong performances, with both needing to have big seasons to get back into the Wallaroo picture.
Tiarna Molloy also enjoyed a strong performance, continuing on her work last year that saw her come off the bench on the Wallaroos end of year tour. The hooker position is set to be a hotly contested position in the Wallaroo squad, so expect Molloy to continue to stand out as she competes with Naden, Talakai and Ash Marsters.
With the Tahs needing to turn in around against the Force, the stage is set for an even bigger second round – and it’s the right sort of problem to have if you’re fans, and especially if you are Jo Yapp.
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