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Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard returns to Western Force’s First XV

Michaela Leonard poses with team mates during an Australian Wallaroos captain's run at Sydney Grammar School on May 10, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard returns to the Western Force’s starting side as the tourists prepare to take on both Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars and Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix in 40-minute matches in Japan on Saturday.

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Leonard recently led the Wallaroos to a historic WXV 2 title in South Africa. Jo Yapp’s Australian side got the better of Wales in their opening fixture before later beating tournament hosts South Africa and finally Scotland in the title decider.

Alapeta Ngauamo is another Wallaroos who bolsters the Force’s forward pack after being named at tighthead prop. New recruit Loretta Mailangi has also been named to start at hooker, with Braxton Walker rounding out the front row.

Rosie Ebbage joins Leonard in the middle row, while Topaz Jean Porter, Nami Dickson and Brooklyn Teki-Joyce make up the loose forwards. On the bench – with this being a 24-woman squad – keep an eye out for Australia international Sera Naiqama.

In the backs, Nicole Ledington comes into the First XV at halfback. Ledington joins vice-captain Grace Freeman In the halves, while Ngamihi Monk and Ocean Tuhua will link in the Western Force’s midfield.

Wests Scarborough winger Tizanae Kovacs has earned her first start of the Force’s Japan tour on the left edge, while 2024 ACT Women’s Player of the Year April Downey will start on the right. Sheree Hume has been named to wear the No. 15 jersey as the starting fullback.

The Force will take on Artemi Stars from 1:30 pm WST before facing the Phoenix from 2:25 pm WST. Last Sunday, the Force went down swinging 27-24 in a standalone fixture against the Phoenix, so they’ll be out to make amends in their in the final clash of their three-game tour.

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Western Force team for Sunday

  1. Braxton Walker
  2. Loretta Mailangi
  3. Alapeta Ngauamo
  4. Michaela Leonard
  5. Rosie Ebbage
  6. Topaz Jean Porter
  7. Nami Dickson
  8. Brooklyn Teki-Joyce
  9. Nicole Ledington
  10. Grace Freeman (vc)
  11. Tizanae Kovacs
  12. Ngamihi Monk
  13. Ocean Tuhua
  14. April Downey
  15. Sheree Hume

Replacements

  1. Hera-Barb Malcolm Heke (c)
  2. Hannah Pelelei
  3. Allana Sikimeti
  4. Zoe Elliott
  5. Sera Naiqama
  6. Tamika Jones
  7. Georgia Cormick
  8. Cecilia Smith
  9. Leilani Hills
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J
JW 35 minutes ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

It is now 22 years since Michael Lewis published his groundbreaking treatise on winning against the odds

I’ve never bothered looking at it, though I have seen a move with Clint as a scout/producer. I’ve always just figured it was basic stuff for the age of statistics, is that right?

Following the Moneyball credo, the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available

This is actually a great example of what I’m thinking of. This concept has abosolutely nothing to do with Moneyball, it is simple being able to realise how skillsets tie together and which ones are really revelant.


It sounds to me now like “moneyball” was just a necessity, it was like scienctest needing to come up with some random experiment to make all the other world scholars believe that Earth was round. The American sporting scene is very unique, I can totally imagine one of it’s problems is rich old owners not wanting to move with the times and understand how the game has changed. Some sort of mesiah was needed to convert the faithful.


While I’m at this point in the article I have to say, now the NRL is a sport were one would stand up and pay attention to the moneyball phenom. Like baseball, it’s a sport of hundreds of identical repetitions, and very easy to data point out.

the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available and look to get ahead of an unfair game in the areas it has always been strong: predictive intelligence and rugby ‘smarts’

Actually while I’m still here, Opta Expected Points analysis is the one new tool I have found interesting in the age of data. Seen how the random plays out as either likely, or unlikely, in the data’s (and algorithms) has actually married very closely to how I saw a lot of contests pan out.


Engaging return article Nick. I wonder, how much of money ball is about strategy as apposed to picks, those young fella’s got ahead originally because they were picking players that played their way right? Often all you here about is in regards to players, quick phase ruck ball, one out or straight up, would be were I’d imagine the best gains are going to be for a data driven leap using an AI model of how to structure your phases. Then moving to tactically for each opposition.

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