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Wallaroos inject some pace into team for Black Ferns rematch
By Online Editors
The Wallaroos hope two personnel changes can help close the gap on the Black Ferns in the second women's rugby Test in Auckland on Saturday.
Coach Dwayne Nestor has introduced speedy fullback Mhicca Carter and flanker Shannon Mato for the Eden Park return match, banking on their injection to spark improvements across the board following the 47-10 loss in Perth.
Australia have no chance of winning the Laurie O'Reilly Memorial Trophy but Nestor wants more fight, believing his side were "bullied" by the world champions.
“We were disappointed with the performance we put out last week as we know that wasn’t our best rugby," Nestor said.
“Bringing Shannon into the starting side, just changes things up for us a bit in the backrow and we know Mhicca has got some explosive speed that can match her opposite numbers."
One change on the bench sees the return of experienced Brumbies second-rower Michelle Milward.
Like last week, the match will be played before the men's Bledisloe Cup Test.
Wallaroos: Mhicca Carter, Mahalia Murphy, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilia, Lori Cramer, Trilleen Pomara, Georgia Cormick, Grace Hamilton (c), Shannon Mato, Millie Boyle, Alisha Hewett, Michaela Leonard, Evelyn Horomia, Averyl Mitchell, Liz Patu. Reserves: Ash Marsters, Emily Robinson, Christina Sekona, Michelle Milward, Emily Chancellor, Iliseva Batibasaga, Arabella McKenzie, Samantha Treherne.
- AAP
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Latest Comments
Steve Borthwick appointment was misguided based on two flawed premises.
1. An overblown sense of the quality of the premiership rugby. The gap between the Premiership and Test rugby is enormous
2. England needed an English coach who understood English Rugby and it's traditional strengths.
SB won the premiership and was an England forward and did a great job with the Japanese forwards but neither of those qualify you as a tier 1 test manager.
Maybe Felix Jones and Aled Walter's departures are down to the fact that SB is a details man, which work at club level but at test level you need the manager to manage and let the coaches get on and do what they are employed for.
SB criticism of players is straight out of Eddie Jones playbook but his loyalty to keeping out of form players borne out of his perceived sense of betrayal as a player.
In all it doesn't stack up as the qualities needed to be a modern Test coach /Manager
Go to commentsBut still Australians. Only Australia can help itself seems to be the key message.
Blaming Kiwis is deflecting from the actual problem.
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