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Coach Jo Yapp names her first Wallaroos team to take on world No.4 Canada
By AAP
Coach Jo Yapp has named her first Wallaroos team, including three possible debutantes, to take on Canada in the opening match of the Pacific Four series in Sydney.
The former England Test halfback, who took over as women's national coach late last year, has included ACT Brumbies prop Sally Fuesaina and Western Force pair Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke and Samantha Wood on the bench for Saturday's game at Allianz Stadium.
Hooker Malcolm Heke and teenage halfback Wood were standouts for the Force in Super Rugby Women this year, while Fuesaina is set for her first international at the age of 32.
Yapp has named a mostly experienced line-up to take on the world No.4 side.
The Wallaroos will be captained by Western Force lock Michaela Leonard.
The backline is stacked with Waratahs players after their Super Women's championship win, including halves Layne Morgan and Arabella McKenzie.
Queensland veteran Lori Cramer will start at fullback and the Force's Trilleen Pomare is at inside centre.
Piper Duck will return to the Test fold at No.8 after missing the entire 2023 season through injury, with Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney and Ashley Marsters are also in the pack.
"We're really happy with how the squad has connected over the past week and training in Blacktown has been a great environment for the players to prepare in camp," Yapp said in a statement.
"Hera-Barb, Sam and Sally are all deserving of their opportunity to make their debut and I'm looking forward to them making an impact in this team.
"The girls are excited to play their first Test match of the year and put in a good performance."
The Wallaroos haven't beaten Canada since 2014, with the visitors ranked one place higher in the world standings than Australia.
Following the clash against Canada, the Wallaroos will shift to Melbourne where they will take on the USA at AAMI Park on May 17.
The final match of their series will be played in Auckland against New Zealand on May 25.
WALLAROOS SQUAD
Brianna Hoy, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard (capt), Siokapesi Palu, Ashley Marsters, Piper Duck, Layne Morgan, Arabella McKenzie, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Georgina Friedrichs, Maya Stewart, Lori Cramer. Reserves: Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke, Sally Fuesaina, Eva Karpani, Atasi Lafai, Leilani Nathan, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Samantha Wood, Faitala Moleka.
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Latest Comments
Nah, that just needs some more variation. Chip kicks, grubber stabs, all those. Will Jordan showed a pretty good reason why the rush was bad for his link up with BB.
If you have an overlap on a rush defense, they naturally cover out and out and leave a huge gap near the ruck.
It also helps if both teams play the same rules. ARs set the offside line 1m past where the last mans feet were😅
Go to commentsYeah nar, should work for sure. I was just asking why would you do it that way?
It could be achieved by outsourcing all your IP and players to New Zealand, Japan, and America, with a big Super competition between those countries raking it in with all of Australia's best talent to help them at a club level. When there is enough of a following and players coming through internally, and from other international countries (starting out like Australia/without a pro scene), for these high profile clubs to compete without a heavy australian base, then RA could use all the money they'd saved over the decades to turn things around at home and fund 4 super sides of their own that would be good enough to compete.
That sounds like a great model to reset the game in Aus. Take a couple of decades to invest in youth and community networks before trying to become professional again. I just suggest most aussies would be a bit more optimistic they can make it work without the two decades without any pro club rugby bit.
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