You can sense the energy shift in Daceyville as the NSW Waratahs prepare for a rivalry weekend against the Queensland Reds.
It’ll start on Saturday with Saturday’s Super Rugby Pacific main event before shifting to Ballymore a day later as the defending champions face the Sevens-lathed Reds squad expected to roll out superstar Charlotte Caslick for her debut.
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Waratahs and Wallaroos hooker Adiana Talakai laid down what it means to face their rivals from the other side of the Tweed.
“It's better dead than red is the casual quote that gets thrown around along these halls,” Talakai said.
“We've never lost to an Australian team and I don't want to start this week or moving forward.
“I don't know if that's a reflection of how much I don't want to lose to the Reds or whatever. But, yeah, we're not losing.”
As a natural red head, the idea of ‘red or dead’ is not something Wallaby Andrew Kellaway can completely endorse, but his feelings around the contest are similar.
“You don’t need to be playing for New South Wales to understand how big this rivalry is,” Kellaway said.
“Just being from here is enough to feel it, so being back and a part of it is really exciting. I'm a proud New South Welshman, and I think it's the best state in the world, and the best city in the world is here in Sydney, so I'm certainly proud to be from here.
“…I think there's definitely an excitement in the air. You’ve got guys who've been a part of it in the past and guys who are not even from Australia. We've got Jamie Adamson from Durham, so we're teaching him about what this stuff is all about, so it's actually a really exciting week being able to share that with guys and share my experience in the past with guys.”
Whilst the rival is lopsided for the women, the men are locked at 20 games each in Super Rugby history, with the Waratahs on edge for an explosive Queensland backline that welcomes back Hunter Paisami and likely Tom Lynagh.
“There’s no point flying up there if you’re not expecting a real battle,” defence coach Lachlan McCaffrey said.
“The Reds love playing on the front foot, and if you let guys like Tate McDermott and Harry Wilson dictate terms, they’ll punish you.
"We have to be ready.”
