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Both the Super Rugby Women’s games were again terrific watches. As noted last week, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp would be happy with the increased physicality and she reiterated this on the weekend during the Waratahs-Force half-time chat on Stan.
It is a big year and with such a short season, every match is critical for every player aiming to make the Wallaroos squad. Similarly, an injury or two to a player may well also drop them down the pecking order. In due course, the final selections in some key positions will be very tight.
So what came out of the weekend?
It was not an exciting win by the Reds, 22-19, but it was a good win. Going to Fiji is a tough assignment and the conditions were oppressive. To be fair, the Drua missed a lot of opportunities with poor handling. Their scrum is dynamite, the form scrum of the tournament. They will classify it as a game that they should have won.
The Reds were on the board early, which is important against the Drua and while the final score looked close, the Reds led 22-0 at the 65-minute mark. The Drua then made a huge comeback on the back of their scrum but the Reds held on.
It was good to see loosehead prop Bree-Anna Browne back and getting minutes. She came off just before half-time, not sure if that was a tactical sub or something else. It will take time for her to get back her match fitness; noting that pre-ACL in 2023, she started or came off the bench in every Wallaroos game.
Apart from the obvious ‘how did the rugby sevens players go?’, I need to highlight Reds No.12 Shalom Sauaso, an absolute beast. She is a teenager, big, strong, fast and has an offload. Not sure whether to be excited or not as she is signed with the Broncos.
As for the sevens players, all three did not look out of place. Bella Nasser had the most time on the field coming on at half-time and probably was the most impressive. She is the only sevens player who is giving the forwards a go. It should be noted that it will take an effort to make the Wallaroos back row. There is a lot of depth in the back row. Kahli Henwood had a run on the wing and did some good things. It is pretty hard to comment on Teagan Levi, she came on in the centres for the last ten minutes. As Morgan Turinui would say, she does not have much of a body of work at this stage but she made her tackles, ran hard and offloaded. All three played confidently and did not make any mistakes which is all you can ask in their first game of 15s.
Another Wallaroos position that is pretty crowded is the outside backs (wing/fullback). Lori Cramer kicked a couple of quality goals which differentiates her a bit from other players competing for those positions.
What of the Waratahs-Force game? The Waratahs fans are very happy with a 26-21 win but you have to feel for the Western Force, losing in the 79th minute. At the game, the Force did look the better team, especially up to half-time. However, watching the replay, the Waratahs were a lot more competitive than they actually looked live.
It was no surprise that the return of Desiree Miller, Bella McKenzie and Piper Duck made a difference. The backline was back to having more structure and direction. There has not been an indication of when Caitlyn Halse will return but she will add a bit more in attack. A positive for the Tahs was getting a win in pink jerseys. According to Ben Darwin and Gain Line Analytics, alternate strips impact performance especially on the team’s attack.
Watching games, all sorts of things pop up that grab your attention. It would be remiss not to mention Waiaria Ellis’ tackle technique. She is not big, granted, but she is just 17. Even still, she consistently brings down bigger players. More than just throwing her body at the opposing player, she has a very traditional technique. Tackles low, keeps her head out of the way. A great example for anyone learning to tackle. It would be interesting to see her tackle efficiency percentage.
I could go on again about my bugbear: no match or player stats available, but I won’t. There aren’t even match stats this season.
Miller scored two tries and, considering her size (apologies if I’ve mentioned this before), has serious strength and speed. She is very similar to Kiwi sevens superstar Michaela Brake (nee Blyde). Even in traffic, she has the ability to break through tackles.
A quasi-unsung heroine is Kaitlan Leaney – she is no block-busting lock but goes about her role productively and efficiently. She runs the Tahs lineout like clockwork, scrums well and has never had a poor game since her debut in 2021. While on locks, Annabelle Codey had a more physical game. The only issue was she got isolated a few times and turned over the ball. Arguably that was her teammates’ fault. Having played for the Wallaroos, she seems to have dropped down the pecking order, yet she has the physical attributes of a quality lock.
Again coming off the bench, hooker Adiana Talakai and prop Faliki Pohiva made a difference with their physicality, entering the fray after half-time. There could be a good battle next week: Pohiva versus Eva Karpani.
Now to the Force side of things. They naturally missed Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard. Ash Marsters is quite phenomenal and will already be a lock in the Wallaroos’ back row.
Like last week, the new recruits were standouts. Cecilia Smith and Force stalwart Trilleen Pomare are not flashy but a very professional centre combination. With Leonard out, Sera Naiqama stepped up as did Kiwi lock Pia Tapsell. Former Brumbies prop Allana Sikimeti was very solid; mindful she is only 20 years old and is developing well. Again, half-back Georgia Cormick played well. She looks to be a player that Wallaroos coach Yapp may like in the Aussie side. It seemed a little surprising she was replaced in the 45th minute by Mio Yamanaka.
At the game, I have to say Pomare’s voice sure gets a workout. There is less of a crowd and less of the irritating music, so you can really hear the players yelling and a lot of them do a bit of yelling.
This coming Saturday, the Brumbies are in Lautoka, Fiji to take on the Drua, who no doubt want to bring a win for their fans. After this week’s loss, you would have to say the Drua would be favourites. Then Sunday, it’s big, Reds-Waratahs at Ballymore. Just a little bit of a focus will be on the expected debut of Charlotte Caslick.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.