NSW Waratahs coach Mike Ruthven is pleased with how his team handled the ‘challenge’ of losing a host of stars as they prepare for Saturday’s Final.
The Waratahs’ title defence remains alive after a remarkable second-half blitz locked up a berth in the decider against the Queensland Reds.
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With the game in the balance at 19-12, the defending champions scored 35 unanswered points, including a hat-trick to Georgina Friedrichs, as they dashed the Force’s hopes of a maiden Final appearance with a 54-17 victory.
“It was certainly a game of momentum in that first half. We started really well but probably got a little bit complacent towards the back end of that first half and invited the Force back into the game,” Ruthven told rugby.com.au after the game.
“We had a really focused chat at half time around what we needed to do in order to get back momentum in the game.
"Super proud of the girls for clawing that back and we obviously had some challenges around some injuries there, but I thought our bench came on and did an excellent job for us.”
The NSW Waratahs will be sweating on a number of injuries ahead of Saturday’s match at North Sydney Oval.
Leilani Nathan is expected to be the most serious injury, suffering a non-contact knee injury.
“You feel for any player that suffers an injury of that nature. Leilani’s an absolute warrior, and she's certainly a player that you want to take to battle every week. Fingers crossed, it's not too serious, but we'll certainly miss her presence,” Ruthven said.
Captain Piper Duck will be given every chance to prove her fitness as she deals with an ongoing shoulder injury.
“She's had some issues with AC for the last few weeks, so we'll see how she pulls up on Monday,” the coach said.
“Piper's been managing that for the last few weeks, so I'm sure she'll be fine.”
Hooker Adiana Talakai was taken in an ambulance for scans after the game, but Ruthven confirmed it was just precautionary whilst Maya Stewart dealt with cramp in both legs.
Any Final is a massive game but the prospect of going up against rivals Queensland Reds adds spice to any game.
Ruthven was eager to control emotions and ensure it didn’t cloud their judgment in their quest for their sixth Super Rugby Women’s title.
“We didn't focus too heavily on the rivalry. We've been very performance focused this season,” he said about their mindset for the match last month.
“Our focus for the week is making sure that we perform better than what we did today and we perform better than what we did when we played them a couple of weeks ago.
"The girls will manage their emotions.”
