THE NSW Waratahs victory against the McDonald’s Fijian Fiji Drua Women side marks another successful chapter for the Australian Women side in front of a passionate Fijian crowd in the Super Rugby W Grand Final at Four R Stadium, Govind Park in Ba yesterday.
Team captain Emily Chancellor says belief and composure were the driving forces behind her side’s 34-17 victory over the McDonald’s Fiji Fijian Drua Women.
The defending champions weathered an early onslaught from the Drua before taking control to successfully retain the title.
Chancellor said the opening exchanges were crucial, with her side forced to absorb relentless pressure from the home team.
“The crowd was amazing. The Drua came at us in that first 10 minutes and we had to defend so hard to keep them out. That really set the tone for how we wanted to play,” she said.
She credited her team’s faith in its game plan, saying the Waratahs remained patient and trusted their processes despite the physical challenge posed by the Drua.
“We know how good we are when we’ve got the ball in attacking zones.
“They had a really strong defensive game and when they ran directly at us, we struggled at times, but I’m so proud of my team for the way they controlled themselves.”
The experienced skipper revealed the Waratahs had placed a strong emphasis on mindset leading into the final.
“We trained and talked about mindset and the desire to have belief. We truly believed we could do it today.”
Although delighted with the result, Chancellor believes there is still room for improvement.
“We’ve always talked about wanting that 80-minute performance and I still don’t think we gave as good as we can.
“But we were more consistent and every time they scored, we responded.”
She also praised the leadership within the squad, saying calm decision-makers helped steer the team through key moments.
“We have such clear, calm game drivers.
“It makes it easy when you know the simple process you’re supposed to do. Then it’s just your job to execute.”
The NSW Waratahs will face the winner of the Super Rugby Women Aupiki final.
