Star studded lineup for Super W opener as NSW bolster squad
Not satisfied with winning last year’s inaugural Super W title without losing a game, NSW have built an even more formidable squad this year in anticiptation the rest of the competition will up its game.
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Even before the first match has kicked off, the NSW Super W side have already managed to exceed their own lofty expectations.
Not satisfied with winning last year’s inaugural title without losing a game, the Waratahs women wanted to build an even more formidable squad year and the early signs are they may just have done that.
Already overflowing with talent, they have bolstered their squad with 14 new recruits, including two rising stars who will make their debut against the Brumbies women in Canberra tomorrow.
Emily Chancellor and Mahalia Murphy are among six new faces in the NSW starting XV but are no ordinary rookies, with both having represented Australia last year.
“We’ve got a lot of girls who didn’t get the opportunity to represent their state last year but one or two those ended up representing their country,” NSW coach Matt Evrard said.
“Before last super rugby season we didn’t have a great deal of Wallaroos in our squad, we actually had five or six Wallaroos in the squad, so to have up to 15 of them in the squad now.”
The long list of internationals includes Ash Hewson, who captained NSW to victory over Queensland in the Super W title.
She calmly kicked the winning penalty in extra time, before bowing out of the Test scene but the 39-year-old remains as skipper this season, starting at inside centre tomorrow.
“She’s extremely experienced and she represents what a female rugby player is in NSW,” Evrard said.
“She’s been a huge leader for those girls for so many years and drives so many standards on and off the field for that group it’s just great for them to have her around and really make a real support network for all those other girls who have joined the group.”
Despite the team’s blinding success last season, Evrard has bluntly told his players they’ll have to be much better this year just to stay where they are.
He expects the general standard of play to increase rapidly in each of the first few years of competition so warned his squad that what was good enough to win in 2018 won’t cut the mustard in 2019.
“We expect that but we’re trying to stay ahead of the game as much as possible,” Evrard said. “I’d expect another jump up this year.
“As a playing group they all understand just how much better they can get.
“There’s no preconceived ideas between the girls, they know how much improvement as individuals and as a team they can actually get and that’s our biggest challenge at the moment.
“We want to make them better rugby players and get them playing better footy as a team and they’re really determined to do that.”
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