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Harlequins housemates become rivals as Wales host Australia

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: Kaitlan Leaney of the Wallaroos passes the ball during the International Test Match between Australia Wallaroos and New Zealand Black Ferns at Ballymore Stadium on July 14, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Australia second row Kaitlan Leaney insists it will be “all serious” in Newport on Friday as she prepares to play against her housemate, Wales lock Abbie Fleming.

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Harlequins team-mates Leaney and Fleming have each been selected to wear their country’s No.4 jersey at Rodney Parade, as Wales face Australia in the teams’ final WXV 2 warm-up match, eight days before they meet in the tournament itself.

The pair shared a house, of which Italy prop Silvia Turani was also a tenant, during the 2023/24 Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season before the Australian returned home to help the Waratahs to the Super Rugby Women title.

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Leaney, who signed on for another season with Quins on Wednesday, revealed the locks had exchanged good luck messages in their club’s WhatsApp chat but would wait until full-time in Newport to catch up properly.

“Abbie and I get on really well on and off the field at Quins and I love playing with her, she’s such a physical presence and has a really good energy on the field,” Leaney told RugbyPass.

“I’ll be pestering her in a couple of rucks but she’s very serious when it comes to game day, as am I, we’re representing our countries. We’ll have a laugh after the game together but on-field it will be all serious.”

Fixture
Women's Internationals
Wales Women
31 - 24
Full-time
Australia Women
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The Australian also revealed the role that Fleming, fellow housemate Turani and their other Quins team-mates had played in helping her to settle at the club.

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“She’s a lovely person,” Leaney said of Fleming. “She’s very caring, she’s always there for you.

“Coming from Australia I haven’t got any family in the UK and it’s been nice to have a good group of girls at Harlequins to make me feel very welcome and create our own little international family there. I value our friendship a lot.”

The 2024/25 PWR season will be third in which Leaney has played for Quins, and the second row believes playing in England has helped make her a better player.

“I’ve loved it so much,” Leaney said of her time at Quins. “There’s a reason that I keep signing and coming back.

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“I just think that the quality of game that you play [in the PWR] is incredible and the consistency of players you have there with obviously a lot of internationals and the quality of games and different teams.

“You know, there’s fast running rugby but there’s also a real big effort and focus on set piece and I definitely think that’s an area in my game that I hold as a strength.

“So, it’s been cool to go over there and keep growing in those parts of my game.”

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f
fl 1 hour ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

176 Go to comments
J
JW 5 hours ago
French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

9 Go to comments
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