‘I was overthinking a lot’: Desiree Miller on World Cup confidence boost

Desiree Miller’s rugby journey began towards the end of 2020, with the Australian picking up the sport as a way to socialise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast-forward five years and Miller just joined a very exclusive club by scoring a hat-trick at a Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Katalina Amosa scored Australia’s first try of the tournament inside the first 90 seconds against Samoa in Salford, but then Miller took over – completing a 27-minute hat-trick, which saw the winger become just the third Wallaroo to score three tries in a single World Cup match.

But there’s more to this story than try-scoring heroics. After walking into the press conference room at the team’s hotel in York on Thursday, still bearing some battle scars from Australia’s historic 73-nil triumph over Samoa, Miller opened up about what it means to be an athlete at this level.

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Miller stole the show in the Super Rugby Women’s decider on April 12 in Sydney, recognised as the Player of the Final at North Sydney Oval. The NSW Waratahs defeated the Queensland Reds 43-21, with Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp watching on from the stands.

After scoring in the Waratahs’ loss to the Blues in the first-ever Champions Final, Miller was selected in Australia’s national squad yet again. But after a tough match against rivals New Zealand in July, the 23-year-old’s confidence took a hit.

“I try to aim for perfection so I fall to excellence and sometimes I don’t even get that,” Miller told RugbyPass and Rugby.com.au. That’s why the winger “definitely needed” that performance against Samoa – now feeling a renewed sense of confidence on rugby’s biggest stage.

“I think, on a personal note, maybe I was overthinking a lot of things,” Miller reflected.

“I’ve got great teammates and great coaches who instilled a lot of confidence in me and going back and keeping my footy simple.

“I was getting to the point where I was trying to overcomplicate things and I play my best footy when I’m not really thinking and it’s all instinct. That’s something I was trying to focus on last weekend and I think that really helped and I felt a lot better.

“I’m really excited to go into this week with that mindset.”

Miller played a sevens event five years ago, picking up the sport as a way to try “something new.” One opportunity led to another, with the speedster completing a remarkable rise through the ranks from the Waratahs’ wider squad into their top squad, and then the Wallaroos.

In the first year of a new Rugby World Cup cycle, Miller was named to debut for the national side against England in 2023. Wallaroo #204 has since reached the 20-Test mark, which included a four-try haul in a match against Fijiana in Sydney last year.

Now, Miller is at a Rugby World Cup for the first time, waking up every day in the UK and realising she’s still here and “It’s not a dream.” But just being here isn’t enough, with Miller eager to help the Wallaroos beat the USA in a must-win pool stage clash.

If Australia beat the USA and England get the better of Samoa, then those two winning teams will qualify for the quarters with one round left in pool play. But if the Women’s Eagles get the better of the Wallaroos, then the Americans take control.

“We always know a USA game is going to be tough, it’s going to be physical and we’ve definitely on both sides [of the ball] have stepped up a lot over the last few years,” Miller said.

“Versing them in Pac Four was quite close and quite tough but I think we responded really well to what was going on around us and we will carry that same feeling going into this weekend.

“Game two, it’s a do-or-die match and that’s something we’ve acknowledged, not that it’s going to place any more unwanted pressure on us but something that we need to recognise.

“USA, they feed off your energy and they love a little underdog story. Us coming off a win, them coming off a loss, we’ve both got really big motivators… I think that’s what it’s about, World Cup, it’s a different game.”