Already cemented as Super Rugby Women's minor premiers, NSW Waratahs coach Mike Ruthven is calling for his side to remain ruthless ahead of Friday's match with the Queensland Reds.
The Waratahs have been dominant in 2024 to such a degree they sit as the only team with a positive for and against heading into the final round.
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“We’ve spoken about the importance of acknowledging that whilst the girls have worked hard to clinch a minor premiership, we set our targets firmly on making sure we won that title and it comes back to HQ," Ruthven said to reporters. “We’re fully aware that we’ve got three weeks of really hard work to go.
“In a five-round competition, you want to make sure you’re winning every game which gives you that confidence into the finals. Once you’re there, it’s elimination so other than a home semi, there’s no real benefit to finishing first or fourth.
“We understand the reality of that so we can’t afford any complacency.”
The clash with the Reds comes at the perfect time. The Queenslanders are out of finals contention but the rivalry between the two sides is enough to fire up the four-time champions.
“We played them in our first trial up in Roma which was a definitely competitive game of footy," Ruthven explained.
“They’ve got their own fair share of Wallaroos so you throw form out the window and you expect a really competitive tough game of footy.
“They’ve got nothing to lose and last opportunity for them…they’ll throw everything at it.”
Their dominance is expected to be rewarded when new Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp names her first squad, with exactly a month until their opening game of the Pacific Four series against Canada.
“We’ve got a significant group of the current managed Wallaroos group so you’d like to think all 18 will be in and around that Pac Four (squad). It wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that every single one of them could stake a claim for an opportunity in that first 23 for the Pac Four series," he argued. “We’re fortunate here with the group that we’ve got it generates a huge amount of competition and we’re seeing that at the moment. It draws the best out of the playing group.
“You’d like to think that we’ll have a really strong contingency of that first Wallaroos Test.”
The Waratahs will be without captain Piper Duck as he deals with a fresh foot injury.
Duck was a late withdrawal from their win over the Western Force, with the Waratahs hopeful she would return for the finals.
“She’s had a little toe issue around her sesamoid so Piper won’t be right this week. She’ll continue with her rehab with the view of being right for the first semi-final," Ruthven added.
