ACT captain Louise Burrows isn't nervous about facing defending champions Sydney in Sunday's Buildcorp Women's Nationals Championships.
Burrows and her opposing captain Ash Hewson addressed the Allianz Stadium crowd before the Wallabies third Test against England and she said they wouldn't be intimidated by undefeated Sydney.
ACT finished with a loss to Queensland on day two and Burrows said they'd learned from that.
“We’ll learn from the loss and come out tomorrow as a new team, and apply the lessons we learnt today,” she said. “I think the excitement will bring the best out of the girls when we play the final.”
While just three points separated ACT from Queensland in Pool B, where ACT, QLD and NSW Country all won two games apiece, Sydney had an easier run to the finals.
The reigning champions conceded just one try in their pool matches.
Burrows said they'd be wary of Sydney's big game experience.
“If there’s one team at this tournament that rises to the occasion it’s definitely Sydney,” she said.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to get through to the final, but we’re really excited about tomorrow’s game.”
“For us to come and beat the reigning champions tomorrow we have to play the best rugby we’ve ever played – as individuals and as a team.”
While ACT has an average squad age of 22, Butrows said a mix of youth and experience had gotten them to this point.
“Our young girls today felt some of the pressure in the big game but the experienced girls were able to lead from the front and guide them,” she said.
ACT takes on Sydney in the women's nationals final at 12:15pm at Riverview, in Sydney's north.
