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‘We have nothing to lose’: Wallaroos dream of shock Black Ferns upset

Desiree Miller of the Wallaroos celebrates with team mates after scoring a try during the women's International Test match between Australia Wallaroos and Fiji at Allianz Stadium on July 06, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Desiree Miller scored a try for every year she’s played rugby in the Wallaroos’ drought-busting defeat of Fiji.

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A former gymnast, swimmer and dancer, the 22-year-old also played hockey, soccer, basketball and tennis before kicking a footy in the park with her brother in 2020 changed everything.

The NSW Waratahs winger is a quick learner, a hat-trick in a winning Super Rugby Women’s final in April just the entree to her record-equalling four-try haul in Sydney on Saturday.

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“Ask me three years ago if I’d be here, scoring four tries for my country, absolutely not,” Miller told AAP ahead of Australia’s Test against New Zealand in Brisbane on Sunday.

“I was in (COVID-19) lockdown, playing soccer and loved it, but it was time for a change.”

All four of Miller’s tries in a 64-5 defeat of Fiji – the side’s first in four Tests under new coach Jo Yapp – required power, speed and a touch of class.

“I played so much sport growing up and the rugby I’ve been able to pick up from all those disciplines,” she said.

“With the gymnastics background people have asked, ‘When are you going to backflip (after scoring a try)?’

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“Not yet, not yet … I just don’t want to hit anyone. Maybe if I get a runaway try, that’d be cool. But I’ve got to get there first.”

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That would be handy at Ballymore against the Black Ferns, who have won all of their 25 clashes – most of them by hefty margins – dating back to their first encounter in 1994.

New Zealand beat Yapp’s side 67-19 in May, Australia’s total their highest in a damning reflection of their trans-Tasman neighbour’s dominance.

“We have nothing to lose and we know a win is coming,” Miller insists.

“Each time we get better and pick apart more and identify more opportunities.”

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Rugby Australia has committed to boosting the professionalism of the program ahead of Australia hosting the 2029 World Cup.

And Miller wants to be front and centre of that movement, despite the inevitable attraction of the NRLW.

“None directly,” she said when asked if any clubs from the rival code had come calling.

“I love rugby and love the people I’ve met through it and the friendships. I love league, but rugby’s for me.

“Since joining the program last year I’ve already seen massive improvements.

“It’s a bigger picture than just us; it’s for the next generation, keeping the Wallaroos name alive for generations.”

The below has been added to the AAP article by RugbyPass.

Wallaroos team to play Black Ferns

1. Brianna Hoy

2. Tania Naden

3. Eva Karpani

4. Kaitlan Leaney

5. Michaela Leonard (c)

6. Atasi Lafai

7. Ashley Marsters

8. Piper Duck

9. Layne Morgan

10. Arabella McKenzie

11. Desiree Miller

12. Cecilia Smith

13. Geeorgina Fredrichs

14. Biola Dawa

15. Lori Cramer

Replacements

16. Tiarna Molloy

17. Allana Sikimeti

18. Bridie O’Gorman

19. Leilani Nathan

20. Siokapesi Palu

21. Natalie Wright

22. Trilleen Pomare

23. Faitala Moleka*

*Denotes debutant

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J
JW 3 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Ok, managed to read the full article..

... New Zealand’s has only 14 and the professional season is all over within four months. In France, club governance is the responsibility of an independent organisation [the Ligue Nationale de Rugby or LNR] which is entirely separate from the host union [the Fédération Française de Rugby or FFR]. Down south New Zealand Rugby runs the provincial and the national game.

That is the National Provincial Championship, a competition of 14 representative union based teams run through the SH international window and only semi professional (paid only during it's running). It is run by NZR and goes for two and a half months.


Super Rugby is a competition involving 12 fully professional teams, of which 5 are of New Zealand eligibility, and another joint administered team of Pacific Island eligibility, with NZR involvement. It was a 18 week competition this year, so involved (randomly chosen I believe) extra return fixtures (2 or 3 home and away derbys), and is run by Super Rugby Pacific's own independent Board (or organisation). The teams may or may not be independently run and owned (note, this does not necessarily mean what you think of as 'privately owned').


LNR was setup by FFR and the French Government to administer the professional game in France. In New Zealand, the Players Association and Super Rugby franchises agreed last month to not setup their own governance structure for professional rugby and re-aligned themselves with New Zealand Rugby. They had been proposing to do something like the English model, I'm not sure how closely that would have been aligned to the French system but it did not sound like it would have French union executive representation on it like the LNR does.

In the shaky isles the professional pyramid tapers to a point with the almighty All Blacks. In France the feeling for country is no more important than the sense of fierce local identity spawned at myriad clubs concentrated in the southwest. Progress is achieved by a nonchalant shrug and the wide sweep of nuanced negotiation, rather than driven from the top by a single intense focus.

Yes, it is pretty much a 'representative' selection system at every level, but these union's are having to fight for their existence against the regime that is NZR, and are currently going through their own battle, just as France has recently as I understand it. A single focus, ala the French game, might not be the best outcome for rugby as a whole.


For pure theatre, it is a wonderful article so far. I prefer 'Ntamack New Zealand 2022' though.

The young Crusader still struggles to solve the puzzle posed by the shorter, more compact tight-heads at this level but he had no problem at all with Colombe.

It was interesting to listen to Manny during an interview on Maul or Nothing, he citied that after a bit of banter with the All Black's he no longer wanted one of their jersey's after the game. One of those talks was an eye to eye chat with Tamaiti Williams, there appear to be nothing between the lock and prop, just a lot of give and take. I thought TW angled in and caused Taylor to pop a few times, and that NZ were lucky to be rewarded.

f you have a forward of 6ft 8ins and 145kg, and he is not at all disturbed by a dysfunctional set-piece, you are in business.

He talked about the clarity of the leadership that helped alleviate any need for anxiety at the predicaments unfolding before him. The same cannot be said for New Zealand when they had 5 minutes left to retrieve a match winning penalty, I don't believe. Did the team in black have much of a plan at any point in the game? I don't really call an autonomous 10 vehicle they had as innovative. I think Razor needs to go back to the dealer and get a new game driver on that one.

Vaa’i is no match for his power on the ground. Even in reverse, Meafou is like a tractor motoring backwards in low gear, trampling all in its path.

Vaa'i actually stops him in his tracks. He gets what could have been a dubious 'tackle' on him?

A high-level offence will often try to identify and exploit big forwards who can be slower to reload, and therefore vulnerable to two quick plays run at them consecutively.

Yes he was just standing on his haunches wasn't he? He mentioned that in the interview, saying that not only did you just get up and back into the line to find the opposition was already set and running at you they also hit harder than anything he'd experienced in the Top 14. He was referring to New Zealands ultra-physical, burst-based Super style of course, which he was more than a bit surprised about. I don't blame him for being caught out.


He still sent the obstruction back to the repair yard though!

What wouldn’t the New Zealand rugby public give to see the likes of Mauvaka and Meafou up front..

Common now Nick, don't go there! Meafou showed his Toulouse shirt and promptly got his citizenship, New Zealand can't have him, surely?!?


As I have said before with these subjects, really enjoy your enthusiasm for their contribution on the field and I'd love to see more of their shapes running out for Vern Cotter and the like styled teams.

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