Former Fijian Drua captain Bitila Tawake anticipates a tough encounter against the Wallaroos in tonight’s Test match at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. The formidable prop is making her return following 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.”
Tawake acknowledged the challenge ahead, noting, “We’ve played against most of these players in the Super W and now they are all put into one team.”
Meanwhile, Wallaroos halfback Layne Morgan expressed her team’s determination to reverse their fortunes against the Fijians. The Wallaroos have yet to secure a win this year, having faced defeats to Canada, USA, and New Zealand during their Pacific Four campaign.
Morgan, 25, believes that the match against Fiji in Sydney is the perfect opportunity to showcase their improvement under coach Yapp.
“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,” said Morgan.
“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 we’ll come back out absolutely ready to smash Fiji.”
Morgan is also focused on developing the next generation of Wallaroos. “It’s so exciting to see that rugby is growing in the female arena,” she said. “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 someone to be is so important.”
Morgan, who is likely to start as halfback against Fijiana, emphasized the importance of building skills and incorporating a strategic kicking game.
“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.”
With Fiji coming in strong from their unbeaten Oceania Championships campaign, the Wallaroos know they face a formidable opponent tonight. Morgan’s Test experience and her recent Super W success with NSW will be crucial in contending with the Fijian challenge.