Semis up for grabs and Wallaroos head-to-head battles galore

Once again there are two very good Super Rugby W games this weekend. They will decide who gets a home semifinal and for the Brumbies, will they get their first win of the season? They have the most pressure, no win, no chance of a semifinal.

Who will win? The Waratahs would be favourites over the Brumbies. As for the Reds vs Force game, possibly a toss of the coin. Personally, I’m leaning a little more to the Reds as the Force have to travel.

While all four teams will be focusing on a team victory there are some head-to-head battles for Wallaroos selection. Without delving into all of the permutations, this weekend could be the last match of the season for the Reds, Force or Brumbies. In reality, more so the Brumbies than the other two but you never know.

First up the Waratahs against the Brumbies.

This has some serious matchups at hooker, backrow and flyhalf.

In the front row are the hookers Brumbies’ Tania Naden and Waratahs’ Adiana Talakai. Before Talakai’s ACL injury she and Naden swapped between who started and who came off the bench for the Wallaroos. Also it was noted the Reds coach Andrew Fraser this week was pumping up Tiarna Molloy’s performance. All three are in the Wallaroos mix, but do you need all three?

Brumbies loosehead Sally Fuesina debuted for the Wallaroos last season and played four Tests. On the Waratahs side of the scrum is tighthead Faliki Pohiva whose performance this season would indicate she is gunning for a Wallaroos spot. You cannot have more of a head-to-head battle than directly in the scrum.

Then to the locks. Waratahs’ Kaitlan Leaney is locked in for the Wallaroos but you have a battle between Brumbies’ Ashley Fernandez and Waratahs’ Annabelle Codey. Fernandez was in the Wallaroos train-on squad last season and made last week’s Super Rugby Women’s TOTW. Codey is a former Wallaroo but has not been in the Wallaroos set up for a couple of years.

The backrow as they say in the classics is going to be a ding-dong battle. Waratahs Leilani Nathan, Emily Chancellor, Piper Duck up against Pesi Palu, young gun Chioma Enyi and Tabua Tuinakauvadra. With Duck out injured for the WXV2 tournament last season Tuinkauvadra took over at eight, played exceptionally well and you can bet she is not going to give it up easily. At the same time Chancellor missed last year’s Wallaroos season through injury so will want to be back in the Wallaroos team. All six backrowers have been playing very well.

The backline has probably two major head-to-heads that are of interest. Firstly, Arabella McKenzie versus Faitala Moleka. Last season McKenzie was the Wallaroos starting 10, missed game or two with a head knock, Moleka took the starting spot and kept it, even when McKenzie recovered and was available. The Wallaroos went on to win the WXV2 tournament.

Then there are the wingers. In the big news, rugby sevens player Bienne Terita gets her first start for the Brumbies. She is going to want to demonstrate her credentials up against Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart. It is worth recalling she was outstanding for the Wallaroos at the last World Cup and she is different to the other sevens players as she has a 15s background.

(Photo by Hannah Peters – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

So across the park it is not just team bragging rights but also possibly the last time the Brumbies players can show Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp what they have.

So that’s Friday; next game is Reds vs Force on Sunday.

This game includes not just some head-to-head battles but pretty sure whoever wins this match gets a home semifinal.

In this game there is not quite the same number of head-to-head battles.

Both hookers, Reds’ Tiarna Molloy and Force’s Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke played for the Wallaroos last season. It is doubtful both will be picked in a Wallaroos squad. At this stage Molloy is probably higher up the pecking order. Last season Reds lock Tiarna Minns was in the Wallaroos squad and the Force’s Sera Naiqama was not. One of the reasons Naiqama moved to the Force was to get more game time, which she is getting. It would not take much surmising that Naiqama would like to get a team win and get the points over Minns.

In the backs it will be good to see Reds’ Lori Cramer get another run at 10 to see if she can repeat her performance from last week. Obviously more than a few eyes will be on Charlote Caslick. The centres combination battle will be more than a little interesting with Reds’ kids Shalom Sauaso and Faythe Manera up against the Force’s old heads Trilleen Pomare and Cecilia Smith. The only issue, both Sausao and Manera are signed with the NRLW teams so will not be in the mix for Wallaroos selection. It’s a pity as both have performed very well.

Charlotte Caslick of the Reds passes during the round four Super Rugby Women’s match between ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds at Viking Park on March 22, 2025 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

For the Force, Mio Yamanaka is again starting at halfback. Not sure where Georgia McCormick has gone, she is not even on the bench, she was playing very well and started the first two games, maybe she is injured.

Both Super Rugby W games will be worth a watch, although Waratahs fans will have to make a choice as both the men and women’s games are on at the same time.

Super Rugby Women
Waratahs vs Brumbies
Friday, 28 March 2025, 5:05 PM AEDT
GIO Stadium ACT

Reds vs Force
Sunday 20 March, 2025, 2:05 PM AEDT
Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane