Charlotte Caslick has been involved in some famous wins but even the two-time World Rugby Player of the Year was left savouring their 28-26 Final win over Perth.
Caslick stepped up with Maddison Levi and Faith Nathan out due to the injury, setting the tempo with a great individual try.
Watch a replay of the Perth SVNS on-demand, exclusively on Stan Sport.
The former skipper then steadied the side in the final minute to ensure New Zealand couldn’t break their hearts with a late try as they controlled possession and saw out the match.
“I think it's one of the best ones yet,” Caslick said post-match
“I'm just so proud of the girls and for some of those girls that haven't played a lot of rugby on the World Series up until this tournament, to see what they could put out there and the way they performed was something that I'm really proud to be a part of.
“I’m just so excited to keep moving forward with them.”
Australia entered the tournament already without several seasoned veterans of the World Series as they dealt with injuries.
Madison Ashby, Kaitlin Shave (both ACL), Bienne Terita (hamstring) and Sariah Paki (calf) were all left in Sydney for the home event before Levi and Nathan were forced off the field for the semi-finals and final.
It left Heidi Dennis (19), Mackenzie Davis (20), and Piper Simons (19) to play big minutes in the Final, and Caslick was impressed with how they handled the spotlight.
“I think this today in particular just showcased the depth we have within our squad,” she explained.
“Girls like Heidi stepping up, Mackenzie Davis has got a lot of minutes there as well and we just seem to be able to roll them out throughout our squad and they just play as good as a girl in front of them, which is so good.”
The wins draw Australia closer to their Kiwi counterparts on the overall World Series ladder, with the New Zealanders still holding a slender margin.
The action heads to Vancouver next month before Caslick and seven of her teammates alongside Terita prepare to make their Super Rugby Women’s debut for their respective sides.
