Australia are massive underdogs for their women’s rugby Test with New Zealand, but try telling the Wallaroos it’s a mission impossible assignment. Things have changed dramatically since the teams last met in 2016, when the Black Ferns produced a 67-3 demolition job at Eden Park.
New Zealand claimed last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup as Australia finished a disappointing sixth, but the Wallaroos are buoyed by the success of this year’s inaugural Super W competition which helped develop 13 debutantes in their squad for Saturday’s clash at ANZ Stadium.
The game is being played before the Bledisloe Cup opener as the Wallaroos get a run on home soil for the first time in a decade and Wallaroos lock Alisha Hewett says the team are eager to put the heat back on the Black Ferns.
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“Never underestimate the underdogs,” Hewett told AAP. “We’ve got a good quality side going forward to Saturday that will give them a good run for their money.”
Fellow lock and Wallaroos vice-captain Rebecca Clough went a step further, saying all the pressure should be on New Zealand – and that they’re very beatable.
“The Black Ferns, they’re No 1 for a reason. They’ve got everything to lose though and we’ve got nothing to lose,” Clough said. “They’re just flesh and bone just like we are, and we’ve got a huge point to prove. We know we’re better than sixth in the world at the moment, so we’re really excited.”
The Wallaroos, headed by coach Dwayne Nestor, have been preparing in Canberra for the match. Assistant coach Moana Virtue believes they are already seeing the results of the Super W competition and that will show in future international results.
“I think it’s given us a level of eliteness and what’s required, as opposed to club rugby going straight into international – that’s a huge step,” Virtue told AAP. “With Super W in there, a lot of the states, have been given more training and technical training, which is so vital.”
In addition to play in front of a big crowd, the Wallaroos will receive match payments for the first time following the last collective bargaining agreement in December.