Jo Yapp praises Wallaroos’ ‘noticeable’ changes before WXV 2 decider

Coach Jo Yapp has commended the progress and growth the Wallaroos have shown during a challenging international season as they look to end the year with some silverware. Australia will face Scotland in a blockbuster WXV 2 decider in Cape Town this weekend.

In February, Yapp made history by becoming the first woman to take on the head coach role of an Australian national senior team in a major football code. Three months later, the Wallaroos started their new era with a one-sided 33-14 loss to Canada at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium.

Australia didn’t win any of their three matches during World Rugby’s Pacific Four Series, with the women in gold also falling to the USA 32-25 and New Zealand 67-19. They were able to break their losing run with a  64-5 demolition of Fiji, but more losses followed.

The Wallaroos had lost six of their seven Tests in 2024 before WXV 2 got underway in South Africa at the end of last month. Australia beat Wales 37-5 at DHL Stadium to open their account before backing that up with a solid 33-26 win over hosts South Africa in the second round.

Those two victories have put the Aussies in a position to take some silverware back home with them at the conclusion of the tournament. “It’s a really exciting opportunity,” as Yapp explained, but it’s also a reward for the team’s dedication throughout a tough season.

“Obviously, patience is key. I know people want results overnight and it doesn’t really work like that,” Yapp told reporters on Thursday.

“We’ve always seen really good progress and that hasn’t always shown in the results, but we’ve seen good progress on and off the pitch from this group – from their testing scores around S&C and the improvements that they’ve made to their high performance behaviours.

“That progress has been really noticeable for us and now others are starting to see that with the way we’re starting to play. Really pleased with how they’ve pushed on.”

The Wallaroos will take on Scotland for only the fourth time ever this weekend, as the two WXV 2 heavyweights vie it out for championship glory. Scotland beat Italy 19-nil to start their tournament before sneaking by with a six-point win over Japan.

Australia have never been beaten by the Scots in a women’s rugby international and they won’t want that record to come unstuck now. But, putting the result to one side, this will be a great opportunity for the Aussies to test themselves against a relatively unfamiliar foe.

These two teams haven’t gone head-to-head since 2021. The Wallaroos are much more used to playing other sides including the Black Ferns, while Northern Hemisphere teams and South Africa were a bit of an unknown.

But, as coach Yapp discussed, that’s made WXV 2 so important in 2024. With next year’s Rugby World Cup in England right around the corner, the Wallaroos have had an opportunity to challenge themselves against new teams and different playing styles.

“Just playing against different opposition has been really exciting for the group,” Yapp said.

“I don’t think anyone in this group has played against South Africa before for example, they’re playing against Northern Hemisphere teams.

“Just playing against different opposition as opposed to, so often playing New Zealand and Fiji, and we know how they play and we know where we stand against those at the moment.

“To see where we want to stand from a world perspective and to take on these teams has been really important, and just having to adapt our style slightly depending on who we’re playing.

“South Africa is very different to Wales, for example, so being able to adapt between those games leading into a World Cup is really good prep.”