Defence the key for Waratahs Women's title tilt

Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 7:30 AM
Waratahs Media
by Waratahs Media

It’s a scary thought for Super W teams attempting to de-throne the three-time undefeated champions the NSW Waratahs, that despite being the benchmark in the competition, captain Grace Hamilton has declared they can get even better than in their previous three campaigns.


“I don’t think we played our best rugby last year and I think everyone that played in that team can attest to that,” Hamilton said.


“So, we’re looking to hit the ground running and play our best footy and continue to improve throughout every game of the series.”


The NSW Waratah’s women’s team begin their title defence against archrivals the Queensland Reds at East’s Rugby Club in Brisbane this weekend, a fixture that has been a must watch clash since the inception of the competition.  


The inter-state rivalry has produced two Grand Finals and incredibly tight matches, with exactly three points separating the sides in each of the past four matches, including the epic 2018 Final which took extra time to declare a winner. 


Despite the victories, the Waratah’s skipper is looking for an improved performance from the side and expecting a brutal encounter up front from a fired-up home side


“It seems that we only get three points above them every single game we play, so for us it’s about being more clinical in our attack as I think we’ve been guilty of leaving points out there every time we’ve played them,” Hamilton said.


“We know what to expect from the Reds this weekend playing at home in front of their fans.


“They’re going to be extremely physical up front, especially in the first half, so we just have to be up for the fight and be prepared to grind it out.”


The Waratahs have attacking threats across the park, with strike weapons such as Arabella McKenzie, Mahlia Murphy, Katrina Barker and Maya Stewart but defence has been a major focus for the side leading up to their 2021 campaign.


“I think our strength has always been our attack, but this year we’ve placed a real big emphasis on our defensive efforts,” Hamilton said.


“We know there will be times in games that we have to grind it out, and we need to be just as excited when we don’t have the ball.

“We want to be relentless in defence and really put teams under pressure in that area”.

Every match of the Super W competition will be live and exclusive on StanSport kicking off with a huge double header this Saturday.


Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs, Saturday 19 June, 1:30pm, Easts Rugby Club, Brisbane


Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels, Saturday 19 June, 3:00pm, Seiffert Oval, Queanbeyan

 
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