Fierce Battle Anticipated Against Wallaroos
Former Fijian Drua captain Bitila Tawake expressed confidence and anticipation as her team prepares for a grueling Test match against the Wallaroos at Allianz Stadium in Sydney tonight. Tawake, a resilient prop, is making her return after a period of rehabilitation.
“It’s been tough watching from the sidelines,” Tawake said. “It tested my patience as I had to do my rehab properly. I had to trust the system.”
Acknowledging the challenge ahead, Tawake emphasized that they are expecting a tough match against a well-coordinated Wallaroos team. “We’ve played against most of these players in the Super W and now they are all put into one team,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Wallaroos’ halfback Layne Morgan expressed her side’s readiness to improve their Test record against the Fijians. The Wallaroos have yet to secure a win this year after facing defeats against Canada, USA, and New Zealand in the Pacific Four campaign.
Morgan, 25, is optimistic about demonstrating their progress under coach Yapp with a strong performance against Fiji in Sydney. “We always have pride in ourselves and we know our capabilities. We know our rugby is gonna get better and better the more we put into it, and you can see that every girl wants to strive for that and every girl is so passionate about the game,” Morgan stated.
“We do think we can win these games. We do believe in ourselves. It’s just unfortunately the ebbs and flows of rugby, the wins and losses, but I definitely think that we’ll come back out absolutely ready to smash Fiji.”
Morgan is committed to fostering the next generation of Wallaroos and is excited about the growth of women’s rugby. “When I was growing up, I didn’t even know what a Wallaroo was so to be able to show them that they have something to see and have someone to be is so important,” she said.
Morgan, expected to start as one of the halfbacks in Yapp’s squad alongside the uncapped Queenslander Nat Wright, understands the importance of her Test experience and success in the Super W against Fijian Drua. She highlighted the need to adapt her game to counter the formidable Fijiana team, especially honing her kicking skills.
“I think bringing in that kicking game is something that I don’t normally do throughout Super W so that’s something that we’re looking to introduce into my game personally,” she told rugby.com.au. “And then just building on those little nine skills – having that run, pass, kick option – and having all three threats.”
The Wallaroos are eager to showcase their development and are determined to claim victory against a strong Fijiana side that has been dominant in the Oceania Championships.