‘Growth over outcome’: The advice Mary Fowler gave the Wallaroos and Piper Duck

As the Wallaroos commence their final preparations ahead of their maiden clash on French soil, loose forward Piper Duck believes the shift in focus to growth and process is already paying dividends.

This week has marked the first time the 28-cap Wallaroo has been in France, the side enjoying time off on Wednesday down in Marseille to experience the local culture and sights.

This weekend’s clash against Les Bleues will mark the first time the sides have played each other since the Wallaroos’ famous 2023 win in New Zealand, with the French having not defeated the women in gold since 2017.

The Wallaroos turned a lot of heads in the opening weekend of the WXV Global Series, their 48-15 loss to England a match that proved a scoreline doesn’t tell a story, with Australia becoming the first side to lead the Red Roses at halftime since 2020.

Combined with the fact many players selected in this weekend’s team were part of that 29-20 win over France three years ago, the energy has proven positive – though Duck acknowledges France are a top four side for a reason.

“There is a really good energy in camp,” Duck told RugbyPass.

“The atmosphere and the camaraderie and the support we’ve had within the group, I think, has been exceptional. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.

“I talked to a lot of those women who were part of that game in 2023, and it’s a game they’re very proud of.

“The French are such an electric side, such a competitive side, and they play with such flair. [We’re] giving them the due respect needed, but we do think we can go in there and do a job as well, we are excited to put our best foot forward.”

Her teammates have not been the only players Duck has received counsel from over this tour, with the arrival of Manchester City and 71-capped Matilda Mary Fowler forward in camp to present the Wallaroos’ jerseys proving a valuable exercise.

“We had Mary Fowler come into camp when we were in Manchester, which was an amazing experience getting to hear from her,” Duck said.

“An aspect she touched on that we’ve really taken from is growth over outcome.

“Obviously, outcome is important, but outcome will come when you focus on that growth in the process, right?

“It’s not that we aren’t worried about the outcome, of course, we want to get the best results back home and for each other.

“But it’s about winning those key moments, growing individually, so that way that end result will be positive and what we want it to look like if that is a ‘win or growth’ aspect.

“It’s something we’ve really been speaking about, focusing on that, focusing on each key moment, winning the individual battles, that compete aspect, because when you do that, the outcome will take care of itself.

“That’s been really key in a lot of the games we’ve been playing.

“Obviously, that New Zealand game, we were disappointed with the outcome. In the end, unfortunately, with that English game, the score line didn’t represent that first 50 minutes, which was hard.

“We’ve definitely reflected on that because we’ve also said it is important for us to feel that this isn’t the result we may have wanted in the end.

“But as a whole, we are very proud of that growth aspect and focusing on each individual moment, because in the end, it will eventually lead to that outcome that we’re really proud of.”

With Fowler watching from the stands in Salford, the Wallaroos were on the right track towards a positive outcome, with England’s experience ultimately proving too strong in the final half hour.

Despite the loss, it has given the 25-year-old a huge confidence boost that the pack can prove more than a match for the French, who will be looking to bounce back from their 28-14 loss to New Zealand last week.

“We really slowed down that breakdown [against England], won that collision in our first half which really helped us with that performance,” Duck said.

“It’s now just maintaining that into the 80 minutes, especially in that defensive spacing is something we’ve spoken about.

“It gave me a lot of confidence that we do have a really talented group; a really talented pack that when we give the backs the platform, we can execute well.

“I’m really excited for this group. I’m loving playing rugby, enjoying the environment in camp. We’d love to get the result, but at the end of the day, it’s about that growth mindset and improving off that game.

“Hopefully, the result takes care of itself.”