1
Wallaroos captain expects a reaction from forwards after Canada demolition
By AAP
Captain Michaela Leonard expects a reaction from the Wallaroos' forward pack in their Pacific Four rugby clash against the USA after being dominated by Canada.
The Australians lost 33-14 last round in Sydney with the Canadians scoring all five tries via the front row.
The Wallaroos meet the winless Americans at Melbourne's AAMI Park on Friday afternoon in a vital clash, looking to again qualify for the top-tier WXV 1 competition in Canada in September and October.
The loser is set to finish last in the Pacific Four and will play in the WXV 2 league in South Africa.
Lock Leonard said her forwards had worked hard this week to improve on their showing against Canada.
"Definitely as a forward we take that one on the chin, and we probably own a little bit of that," Leonard said after their final training run in Melbourne.
"We've done really well this week to shore up a few of our areas around set piece, particularly the scrum and around our maul defence and we want to make those weapons this week.
"Lots of chat and lots of action towards becoming more physical, particularly the forwards as well so hopefully we'll see that."
Wallaroos 2023 player of the year Eva Karpani is back in the starting front row, with Leonard expecting her to add some punch both in attack and defence.
"Eva is a phenomenally physical player, and we saw that through WXV, her power, carrying balls, scoring tries, but also in defence as well," the Western Force star said.
"It's exciting to have her back into the starting line-up this week and hopefully we'll get some good punch and some good go-forward."
New Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has named teenager Caitlyn Halse to start at fullback, with the 17-year-old the youngest player to debut in a women's or men's Australian Test side.
Leonard said the NSW youngster had shown she was ready.
"The growth and the development in Caitlyn over the last 12 months, being part of some of our Wallaroos campaigns last year and then coming into this year, she's really matured as a player on the field and off the field," the captain said.
"I think her composure on the field now and her ability to communicate has grown in leaps and bounds so I'm definitely excited for her to bring that out onto the field and then show what an attacking threat she can be with ball in hand as well."
Captain Kate Zackary returns from injury for Team US, starting at blindside flanker while McKenzie Hawkins returns as five-eighth after missing their loss to New Zealand.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Bath Rugby turnover breaks £20m but losses increase
3
Gloucester Rugby accounts reveal £3 million drop in turnover
4
Exeter Chiefs close to revealing new attack and backs coach
5
Latest Comments
Qld really have three #4 locks and only one #5. Liam Wright is the best pure lineout caller at the club by a distance.
Go to commentsBeing an artist in New York, I rely heavily on online platforms to showcase and sell my work. One day, I was approached by a gallery claiming to offer international exposure for my art. They promised to feature my pieces in exhibitions and connect me with global buyers. Excited by the opportunity, I agreed to their terms, which included an upfront payment of $3000 to cover administrative fees. The gallery’s contact person stopped responding to my emails, and when I tried to visit their address, it turned out to be fake. I realized I had fallen victim to a scam. Feeling betrayed and frustrated, I didn’t know where to turn. That’s when I discovered Muyern Trust Hacker on ( Te le gram at muyerntrusthackertech ) I reached out to them, providing all the details I had: the gallery’s information, transaction records, and emails from the scammer. They worked tirelessly with international authorities to track the funds and initiate the recovery process. Within a few weeks, they successfully returned the $3000 to me. The relief I felt was overwhelming. Not only did I get my money back, but I also learned valuable lessons about verifying opportunities and being cautious with upfront payments. They are true professionals who go above and beyond to help their clients. Thanks to them, I can now focus on creating and sharing my art without the burden of losing hard-earned money to scammers. Here is their mail for efficient resolution: (muyerntrusted(@) ma il - me(.) c o m )
Go to comments