The Waratahs will miss a Super W final for the first time in the competition’s history after falling 20-17 to the Fijiana Drua on Sunday.
The Drua, who are defending champions, will play either the Reds or Brumbies in Townsville next weekend after overcoming a patchy regular season campaign and a disrupted preparation over the past two weeks to snatch an unlikely win from the unbeaten NSW women.
At one stage last week the team was fed by Brisbane’s Fijian diaspora and grassroots clubs when the Fijian Rugby Union could not afford to pay the team’s catering bill.
Drua coach Inoke Male said the dressing room was an emotional place after the siren on Sunday.
“There were a lot of tears and also laughter after so many things that we have gone through,” Male said.
“We know we have a big task ahead. I will take any team that comes our way, we’ll prepare, go back to the drawing board, rectify our weaknesses and prepare for the final.”
Karalaini Naisewa fends off Jade Sherdian in the Super W semi-final.Credit: Getty
It was heartbreak for the Waratahs, who have not missed a final since the competition started in 2018 and were on track to make it six straight. The competition heavyweights had posted an unbeaten run of five games, including a 31-5 demolition of the Drua in round three.
The Waratahs raced out to a 17-0 lead by the 20-minute mark through tries to Desiree Miller, Maya Stewart and Adiana Talakai. But the Drua “bit back hard”, in the words of Test and NSW winger Maya Stewart at halftime.
Barnstorming prop Siteri Rasolea scored in the 23rd minute and outside centre Vani Arei dotted down three minutes later to make it 17-12.
“There were a lot of tears and also laughter after so many things that we have gone through.”
Fijiana Drua coach Inoke Male
The match settled into an arm wrestle for the remainder of the half, staunch NSW defence holding out the Drua’s attacking raids. Fullback Lani Tarei kicked a penalty goal to narrow the gap to two points in the 43rd minute and the visitors had two tries held up thanks to their players carrying too high.
Miller looked to have bagged her second but lost the ball over the line and it was the Drua who scored instead, taking the lead for the first time in the 69th minute.
The Waratahs led 17-0 by the 20th minute but couldn’t hold out the Fijiana Drua. Credit: Getty
The Waratahs fought hard to find a way but were frequently penalised on the Drua’s line, snuffing out their attack. The Drua’s defence was desperate, eventually securing them the win.
“We showed we had the Waratahs back peddling in the back of the first half and we knew we could do that again if we kept going through the middle. I’m really proud of the girls that they stuck to our game plan,” Male said.
The win came after a women’s Six Nations match set a new world record for a women’s rugby match in London overnight.
A new high of 58,498 fans watched England beat a spirited France 38-33 to win their fifth straight women’s Six Nations title and lift the grand slam at Twickenham.
The fixture smashed the world record for attendance at a women’s rugby game which was previously 42,579 at last year’s World Cup final at Eden Park when New Zealand beat England.
It gave England coach Simon Middleton a fitting farewell, as his side won a 24th straight match in the competition.
Their last Six Nations loss came in 2018 when France narrowly beat the Red Roses 18-17 en route to the title.
with Reuters
