‘It’s not about pressure’: Waratahs coach reacts to shock first-round loss

Coach Mike Ruthven remains confident the NSW Waratahs can address some key issues and bounce back in the second round of Super Rugby Women’s after going down at home to the Fijian Drua 23-17 on Friday afternoon.

With the Rugby World Cup in England less than six months away, a massive year for women’s rugby in Australia and Fiji got underway at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium last week. In a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s one-sided Grand Final, the Tahs met the Drua.

After losing that decider by an emphatic scoreline of 50-14, the Drua couldn’t have started their new campaign any better as outside centre Vitalina Naikore scored the first try of the season less than 10 seconds into the season-opener.

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Josifini Neihamu powered through the Tahs’ defensive line to score another try for the Dura later in the half, with the visitors taking a 20-5 lead into the break. While the home side was much-improved during the second term, they weren’t able to claw their way back for the win.

With the Western Force and Brumbies drawing 29-all out west, the Drua sit atop of the Super Rugby Women’s standings after one round as the only team with a win so far. As for the Tahs, they sit second-last with the Queensland Reds yet to take the field after a bye week.

“We’ve had a really good review process and time to reflect,” Ruthven said ahead of the second round of Super Rugby Women’s.

“The most pleasing thing is knowing that the areas we fell short in are well within our control.

“We need to tidy up some discipline and ball control, but we’re confident in our ability to fix these issues.”

It’s a rare event for the Waratahs to lose a match in Super Rugby Women’s, as history suggests, and the New South Welshwoman will be intent on making sure they don’t kick things off this season with a once-unthinkable run of back-to-back defeats.

This weekend, the Waratahs face the Western Force at the famed Sydney venue once again, with both sides looking to record their first wins of the season. As coach Ruthven explained, “You can’t afford to be off your game” in a four-round competition.

“It’s not about pressure but about the importance of playing good rugby every week. We need to build momentum now,” the coach added.

“The Force has recruited well, and it’s great to see talent spread across the competition.

“But recruitment doesn’t always translate to on-field performance. We’re expecting a tough contest.”

In the other second-round fixture, the Dura will look to make it two-from-two when they take on a Queensland Reds side hungry to kick things off with a bang in 2025. The Reds found wins hard to come by last time out in 2024 but with that in the past, a new season awaits.