‘Going backwards to go forwards’ – 2024 shows how far the Wallaroos have to go

“Next year, we’re coming for you, everyone. Let’s go!”

Wallaroos scrum-half Layne Morgan’s enthusiastic call to the rest of international women’s rugby certainly holds a lot more weight than it did just three weeks ago, as the Wallaroos swept WXV 2 and won their first major title.

Next stop: a World Cup year. 

Being on the road has been good for Jo Yapp’s side – even despite the losses in Ireland and Wales. In the shifting sands of women’s rugby, we live in a time of growing professionalism, where historical results matter little.

Playing against sides the Wallaroos traditionally haven’t played against is a valuable gauge of where Australian rugby sits in this space. So – where do we sit?

Certainly not at the top, and there is work to be done. But, there is a lot to like, and the talent is there to soar higher.

With this success under their belt, in 2025 they need to hit the ground running, as they face an imposing draw at the World Cup – taking on world number one and WXV 1 champions England, an improving United States side, and WXV 3 runner’s up, Samoa. 

However, it should be acknowledged how good a year 2024 has been for the Wallaroos, not just in terms of the end-of-year results. It has been a year of growth, of many lows and disappointments, but also, ultimately, of rewards.

While Rugby Australia is often slammed by fans on many rugby platforms, including this one, the growth of the Wallaroos program – especially in the last three years, should be commended. It is easy to forget that it was only in August last year, at the height of Matilda-hype and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Wallaroos players publicly condemned the governing body in a scathing social media letter. 

While there is more to be done to come close to parity, a full-time coach and staff, an established tiered contract system, and paid players across all Super Rugby sides with full-time coaches – is not a bad effort in just over twelve months. 

While the Wallaroos may not be able at present to draw the numbers seen by the Matildas, the road to get there starts with winning and building.

Jo Yapp was in at the deep end, with only eight days in camp heading into their first match against heavyweights Canada – and while they would struggle in the Pacific Four series, for where the Wallaroos were at that time, a wooden spoon might not have been the worst outcome. 

Sometimes, you need to go backwards to go forwards.

Sure, they finished in bronze in WXV 1 last year, but when you have a new coach with a different vision, systems and a developing professional program that could likely benefit from getting some wins – no matter who against – it pays to travel a different road and work yourself back up to the big guns.

The Pacific Four series exposed several key, longstanding issues for the Wallaroos, and many were the cold, hard realities of being behind the eight ball in women’s rugby. 

Sure, we had attacking flair and could make big hits, but it was no match for the well-drilled nature of Canada’s set piece, and the sheer creativity of the Black Ferns – just a few of the rewards of having more established, professional outfits.

The Wallaroos could ask questions, but their lack of polish and discipline led to defence becoming a leaky vessel – teams only needed to tackle the ruck and the maul, and they had Australia on the back foot. While our attack was more consistent compared to the 2023 series in Canada, it counted for naught when your discipline and defence were so porous.

The result? Some ugly scorelines that resulted in another weakness exposing itself – mental game. 

The matches against New Zealand and Ireland highlighted this – when more disciplined sides got on top, they could stay on top. At some points, it even suggested a Wallaroo side going backwards – with pressure breeding errors galore in their game.

Are the back-to-back 60+ losses to the Black Ferns really where this side is at? Honestly, no. But the aura of New Zealand is a hard thing to crack – especially if you’ve never beaten them.

However, the win against Fiji proved a different affair. Fijiana Drua has performed well in Super W since joining, with two titles and a runner-up finish in three years. The Wallaroos 64-5 win was the first incident that when the women in gold get their tails up, the floodgates can open.

If confidence floods the camp, the rising tide lifts all ships and tackles those other systemic issues. 

The loss against Wales after the siren has proven, more and more, to be the most important match in the context of the Wallaroos’ year. They came back the following week with a disciplined approach and bided their time. 

Their 37-5 win against Wales is their best performance of the year – not because their discipline, breakdown work, and defence improved – but because their game management and patience advanced in spades.

The floodgates only opened in the final twenty minutes because they’d spent 60 minutes wearing down the Welsh. No longer were they trying to force the pass. Their long-range tries looked well crafted, but it was the reward for everything that came before.

Wins over South Africa and Scotland only built on this, particularly the latter, as the Wallaroos didn’t go into their shell when the Scots took the lead in the final ten minutes, and showed great patience to get the lead back, then put the game beyond doubt.

However, these matches showed the Wallaroos still have work to do. While better, their discipline remains an issue, with Siokapesi Palu and Atasi Lafai being sent for ten in those last two clashes of WXV 2.

The breakdown is better, but not when compared to sides like New Zealand and England that will target it – and while physicality and defence have improved, areas like rolling maul defence still have questions, and loom as a means to beat the Wallaroos, should the opposition they come up against be capable enough to take advantage. 

Lastly, an issue of complacency reared its head in those games. While Wales showed a Wallaroos side putting an opposition away ruthlessly, both the Boks and Scotland came back into their games in the second half – even if the numbers suggested the Wallaroos dominated most aspects of both games. 

These issues need to be addressed in 2025 – while the Pacific Four series and other Test fixtures are still to be announced, the Wallaroos are set for a hard run at the World Cup. Sides like England are the world standard and will be tournament favourites – especially at home – and the United States can, and has, effectively targeted these areas of weakness. 

Even Samoa, who defeated Australia A in their inaugural clash in September, cannot be underestimated. 

But, for Jo Yapp and her team, having a year like 2024 has given them to means to address such challenges. For all the lows, there are many positives to be excited about.

2024 showed the Wallaroos can become a brand that draws national interest, the WXV 2 title serving as a key moment in their history. 

It showed a side developing resilience, belief, and above all, patience and trust in their systems – probably the biggest win Yapp managed to accomplish. The wins in South Africa are an epitome of that – nail that, you can nail nearly everything else. 

It showed we can develop strong depth, with Faitala Moleka, Tabua Tuinakauvadra and Caitlyn Halse headlining a strong contingent of blossoming younger players coming through the ranks – talent who combined well with experienced heads like Ash Marsters, Maya Stewart and Eva Karpani. Imagine what happens when Piper Duck and Emily Chancellor return to the side?

Then, there is also the much-discussed question of whether Australia’s sevens program will follow the likes of many international sides and fully integrate with the Wallaroos. Many Sevens stars have indicated an interest in taking part in next year’s World Cup, including Charlotte Caslick, Sharni Smale, and the Levi sisters. 

There will be many challenges ahead for the Wallaroos in 2025, and there is a long way to go before they finally grab that elusive first win over the likes of England, New Zealand or Canada.

But, while 2024 has shown how far the Wallaroos have to go, it has also shown how high they can soar.