The benefit of Hinds-sight: How sevens star can help Wallaroos overcome Kiwi fear factor

For all the attention on the sevens stars who won’t be with the Wallaroos against New Zealand on Saturday, it’s easy to overlook the dangerous pair who will.

They are a stellar duo not only committed to making a success of their switch to 15s, but are so used to beating Kiwis that they may help remove the fear factor for their Wallaroos teammates, too.

Olympic sevens stars Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds will both make their run-on debuts for the Wallaroos against the Black Ferns at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. Both made their Test debuts last week off the bench against Fiji, and this week coach Jo Yapp called up Caslick on a wing and thrust Hinds into the hotseat as five-eighth.

Replacing star winger Maya Stewart, Caslick will have an important role to play for an attacking side that likes to use the full width of the field. As a three-time Olympian and 2016 gold medallist, Caslick is no stranger to facing – and beating – New Zealand on the big stage, and she has shown increased confidence and influence in her 15s games this year.

Hinds has enjoyed plenty of success against the Kiwis, too. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the two-time Olympian’s career to date is when she nailed a clutch drop-kick conversion after the siren to beat New Zealand in the semi-finals of the World Sevens Series last year in Madrid. Australia went on to win the grand final in the next game.

The Wallaroos are 0-27 against New Zealand in 15s, but Yapp will hope the mindset of Hinds and Caslick, earned over years of beating their trans-Tasman rivals, can spread to the rest of the team.

Tia Hinds runs the ball during the Cup Final match between Australia and New Zealand in Perth.Credit: Getty Images

“You never go into a game thinking you’re going to lose it, you always go in wanting to win,” Hinds said on Friday. “But I understand that there can be a fear factor when it comes to an opposition that beats you constantly. It’s just being able to change that mindset.

“So for the Wallaroos, for example, we’ve never beaten New Zealand, but you don’t need to that pressure on yourself. It’s actually the other way around, you know, the pressure is on New Zealand to beat us because they’re meant to win.

“It’s just being able to flick that mindset. And I think it’s something that we have in the sevens, you know, we’ve beaten them before. It’s not a fear thing. We know we can beat them.”

While many eyes will be on the well-known Caslick, Hinds could be the ace up Yapp’s sleeve.

Tia Hinds kicks a clutch conversion against New Zealand.Credit: X

The 22-year-old, known as “Dolly”, has been a star athlete since she was a young girl growing up in Maroubra and starring for the local touch, rugby league and AFL teams. And she was playing in boys’ teams for most of those years, too.

“My first footy was in rugby league,” Hinds said. “I was the dummy half, because when you’re young, the boys, they like to hog the ball. I’ve always been a distributor, so they just put me in there and I always made sure the ball at least got out.”

When she turned 12 and was no longer allowed to play league with the boys, Hinds switched to AFL (still playing with boys) and at the age of 15, was selected for the Australian Under-15 girls side.

In 2016, however, she became one of a huge number of girls inspired by the feats of Caslick and Co at the Rio Olympics, and picked up rugby. The rest is history.

Charlotte Caslick running the ball for the Reds.Credit: Getty Images

Hinds was so good she was selected to be Caslick’s teammate at the next Olympics, at the age of 19. She won a Commonwealth Games gold medal the next year, and played at the Paris Olympic team as well.

When the opportunity arose earlier this year to have a crack at making the Rugby World Cup with the Wallaroos, Hinds jumped at the chance.

“I loved watching “BB” [Bienne Terita] go from the sevens across to the World Cup squad last time, and she absolutely killed it,” Hinds said.

“I’ve now been to two Olympics and obviously I’m still pushing to go to a third and hopefully medal there, but I’m still young and the opportunity to be able to transition across and play some fifteens was hugely appealing.

“The technical side of 15s, I think, can help my sevens game a lot and I hope that my sevens game can transition across to fifteens as well.”

Unlike many of her speedy sevens colleagues, Hinds knew she wanted to play as a distributor in the halves, or at fullback, in 15s. Hinds, who counts Dan Carter and Beauden Barrett as her idols, played a little of each role for the Brumbies and was even named as reserve halfback for the Wallaroos on her debut.

“I think my skill set is my ability to see space and get the ball there,” she said. “Sevens is a lot more instinctual and free play, whereas fifteens you’re really conducting and it’s more of like a chess game. It’s trying to get momentum and, you know, swinging to each side of the field, trying to open up space on one side and knowing when to rip it to the back. It’s more of a mental battle.”

In the more strategic world of 15s rugby, the hidden asset for Hinds is a well-honed kicking game, too. All those years of AFL have ensured she is not a typical sevens player, who can go through an entire career without kicking a football.

“You definitely don’t kick a lot in sevens and it’s not a big part of our game, but having that background with AFL has made the transition easier,” Hinds said.

“I have obviously a bit rusty coming back into it, but it doesn’t take long to pick it all back up.”

While Caslick, Hinds and Terita have commited to making the World Cup squad, Yapp revealed this week that Maddison Levi and five other sevens players had withdrawn from consideration.

Hinds said it was understandable, given the short time left before the August tournament.

But she hopes she, Caslick and Terita can help break some new ground over the next few months and, ahead of the 2029 Rugby World Cup in Australia, prove that fluidity between the sevens and 15s programs can be successful and mutually beneficial.

“All eyes are on the home World Cup in 29 for sure,” Hinds said.

“That’ll be post our Olympic year. And this is just a baseline to show that, you know, the two programs can join together within the season. This is the start of something good and a good relationship between the two.”

Sevens won’t go into 15 for try-machine Levi ahead of World Cup

Australian sevens star Maddi Levi will not play for the Wallaroos at the World Cup later this year after the prolific try-scorer withdrew from selection consideration.

On the day she named sevens converts Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds to make their starting debuts against New Zealand on Saturday, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp revealed Levi and other sevens stars, including Teagan Levi and Bella Nasser, had made themselves unavailable for the national 15-a-side team.

Earlier in the year, nine sevens players elected to have a crack at making the Wallaroos’ squad for August’s World Cup, which entailed juggling a few games in Super Rugby Women with duties on the World Sevens Series. Caslick, Hinds and Bienne Terita then chose not to return to the sevens circuit to keep pushing for the World Cup.

Maddi Levi didn’t play for the Reds due to a hand injury, but given her standing as the world’s best women’s sevens player, the Wallaroos were still planning for her to be involved in Tests this month ahead of the World Cup.

But Levi’s manager, Mat Rogers, last month expressed reservations about the switch, and suggested it would increase “animosity” from the 15s players towards the sevens players.

Maddi Levi runs away to score yet another try.Credit: Getty Images

“I just don’t think it’s an appropriate step to take now,” Rogers said on Stan Sport’s Inside Line program. “I’m speaking from Maddi’s perspective purely out of care for her. I don’t want her to be set up to fail, and I think that’s what’s happening if they pursue it further this year.

“I don’t think she can [make the transition] in the time. She’s not going to have enough game time. It’s just unfair on her, and it’s unfair on the squad to throw her in there and expect her to be a world-beater that she is in sevens. It’s too much pressure.”

Yapp revealed on Thursday that the Levi sisters, Nasser, Kahli Henwood and Sariah Paki, had elected to take a break after the sevens season. Demi Hayes is also out after suffering another knee injury.

“The other players that had initially made themselves available for 15s that went to LA have returned and now made themselves unavailable for the 15s,” Yapp said.

“They’re taking that time. It’s obviously been a long season for them. They want to prioritise their rest and recovery, which we absolutely respect. So they won’t be available moving forward.”

Yapp said she was impressed with the way Caslick, Hinds and Terita had made the switch.

“They’ve done so well, and obviously we were really upset for “BB” [Terita] with the injury because she was really embracing the 15s, but it’s looking really positive for her to make a return before [the World Cup],” Yapp said.

“But really impressed with how both Charlotte and Tia have taken this opportunity and how hard they’re working for the squad and doing all their due diligence and their homework. It has been really impressive.”

Caslick will make her run-on debut on the wing for the Wallaroos in their clash with New Zealand in Newcastle on Saturday.

The Aussie sevens players who opted to have a crack at making the Wallaroos’ World Cup squad: Demi Hayes, Isabella Nasser, Kahli Henwood, Sariah Paki, Teagan Levi, Tia Hinds, Charlotte Caslick, Maddison Levi and Bienne Terita.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The sevens star, who came off the bench against Fiji last weekend, has replaced injured winger Maya Stewart (knee). With Terita (hamstring) and Caitlyn Halse (hamstring) also out, Georgie Friedrichs will return at centre after a broken finger and Faitala Moleka will start at fullback.

Hinds, a two-time Olympian, has also won promotion to the No.10 jersey in only her second Test.

Tahs keen to keep Edmed as benched star gets a run

Waratahs coach Dan McKellar said he was keen to keep off-contract no.10 Tane Edmed out of the grasp of the Brumbies but has counselled him to not overplay his hand in a long-awaited start against the Reds on Friday.

McKellar lauded Edmed’s attitude during a stint on the bench as he also revealed he’d been “angry” after the Waratahs loss to the Brumbies last weekend, and confirmed several senior players had been dropped to revitalise the Tahs.

Tane Edmed passing against the Fijian Drua.Credit: Getty Images

Edmed is one of six changes to the Waratahs run-on side to meet the Reds at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, replacing Lawson Creighton. Hugh Sinclair, who captained the Tahs for much of the season while Jake Gordon was injured, was left out, and so too was Wallaby centre Lalakai Foketi.

Dave Porecki, Fergus Lee-Warner and Charlie Gamble all returned to the side from injury, as well.

Edmed will start at no.10 for just the third time this season, and for the first time since round 3. The 24-year-old ended last year in the Wallabies side but has mostly been on the bench at the Waratahs, with McKellar preferring new recruit Creighton.

Edmed’s time on the bench came as he began weighing up his future, and he has a very interested suitor in Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham, who has earmarked Edmed as the man to replace the departing Noah Lolesio.

Tane Edmed’s debut for the Wallabies was cut short due to a head knock.Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images

McKellar said he’d stressed the need for Edmed to not overplay his hand in his return to the no.10. The temptation for Edmed to try too much against the Reds is heightened, too, given he will marking Tom Lynagh and looking to impress Joe Schmidt in a small window ahead of the Lions series.

“We’ve said to all the tens you don’t need to be the best player on the field, just go out there and do your job, guide us around the park,” McKellar said.

McKellar said he was keen for Edmed to stay with the Waratahs.

“He’s a New South Wales boy, loves the Waratahs and families here and that sort of thing.” McKellar said. “Retention of all of our players is the first thing we look at before we recruit. He’s certainly in the conversation.”

With four rounds left, the Waratahs have slipped out of the top six and are now, realistically, only an outside chance of playing finals. But they can still maintain an unbeaten home record, after five wins in Sydney this year, and use that as a platform for next season.

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