Can anyone stop NSW Waratahs Women’s team from claiming back-to-back Super W titles?
That’s the question after the NSW side claimed their eighth straight Super W victory with a dominant 31-0 win over the RugbyWA Women’s team in Perth.
It wasn’t perfect, by any means, but the undefeated women in blue were too strong for a plucky - but ultimately outclassed - RugbyWA outfit at Curtin University.
In sapping heat, three tries to NSW in the opening half gave the visitors a comfortable 19-0 buffer at the break and despite a mistake-riddled second half from both sides, the Waratahs women added another two tries to seal yet another win.
Chloe Leaupepe scored a double and along with no.8 Grace Hamilton was one of NSW’s best on the day.
RugbyWA showed glimpses of enterprising attacking threat, with Trilleen Pomare and Mhicca Carter dangerous, but clean front-foot ball was all-too rare given a mountain of handling mistakes and the dominance of the NSW forward pack.
Hamilton was a powerhouse with the ball in hand, and the NSW tight five constantly dominated the collisions.
Coming after a win over major rivals Queensland last weekend and with a last-round clash against minnows Melbourne, NSW’s victory leaves them all-but assured of winning the minor premiership and hosting duties for the Super W final.
Queensland will feel they have the team to beat NSW but he home advantage has proved the difference in the sky blue's last two tight wins over their northern rivals.
NSW dominated possession for the first 20 minutes and scored two early tries through Laupeape and Hamilton.
It could have been more but RugbyWA fought back through Pomare and Carter, and the WA fullback went to close to scoring a nice try but was denied by a hard-tackling Hewson in the corner.
RugbyWA put themselves under pressure just as the halftime siren sounded when they elected to take a scrum under their posts, and turned it over.
Another scrum saw NSW scored a third try to Shanice Parker out wide, after some slick hands.
The second half saw Leaupepe grab her second soon after the break, but the game then slowed right down as both side’s coughed up the ball repeatedly.
NSW got some good impact from their bench and finally got their act together in the 67th minute, when a nice sweeping play to the left saw Hewson glide through a gap and feed Crystal Maguire for a try.
Hewson said she believed NSW's best form is still ahead of them.
"I am really proud of our girls I feel like we are building each week and today was a true testament of that," Hewson said pos-match.
RugbyWA skipper Tara Reed said mistakes had let his side down badly.
"We knew we had the advantage today being a home game and we just didn’t turn up right from the start," Reed said.
"We started to hit our mojo later in the fame but it is an 80 minute game and we didn’t do enough."
TEAMS
RugbyWA to face Waratahs
1. Brooke Mason
2. Darryl Wickliffe
3. Terehia Cooper
4. Kateraina Ahipene
5. Rebecca Clough
6. Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke
7. Tara Reed (c)
8. Katherine Outred
9. Zion Taurima
10. Trilleen Pomare
11. Dallys Tini
12. Huia Swannell
13. Ariana Hira-Herangi
14. Claudia Nielsen
15. Mhicca Carter
Reserves
16. Ash Temple
17. Sera Ah-Sam
18. Raewyn Tuheke
19. Claudia Foster
20. Taylor Waterson
21. Caitlin Burt-Poloai
22. Katie Barnes
23. Tui Cope
Waratahs to face RugbyWA
1. Emily Robinson
2. Tasmin Sheppard
3. Evelyn Horomia
4. Noella Green
5. Sera Naiqama
6. Alexandra Sulusi (vc)
7. Emily Chancellor
8. Grace Hamilton (vc)
9. Iliseva Batibasaga
10. Chloe Leaupepe
11. Shanice Parker
12. Katrina Barker
13. Crystal Maguire
14. Maya Stewart
15. Ashleigh Hewson (c)
Reserves
16. Melissa Fatu
17. Loretta Mailangi
18. Asoiva Karpani
19. Jemima Henry
20. Pareake O'Brien
21. Arabella McKenzie
22. Kennedy Cherrington
23. Kirrily Laws
