Wallaroos coach explains surprise call ahead of Rugby World Cup opener

MANCHESTER: Coach Jo Yapp has explained her unexpected captaincy call ahead of Australia’s Rugby World Cup opener against Samoa this weekend, with 24-year-old lock Kaitlan Leaney sharing the leadership duties for the first time on the international stage.

In the absence of regular skipper Siokapesi Palu – who remains sidelined with a foot injury but is in camp with the Wallaroos in Manchester –  Leaney will combine with Emily Chancellor as co-captains for the Test at Salford Community Stadium.

Leaney has served as a vice-captain while Pesi was ruled out of both Tests against the Welsh on home soil, but the opportunity to lead the team into battle along with Chancellor was clearly still sinking in as the second-rower fronted the press on Thursday.

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It’s an honour that came as a bit of a shock to Leaney, who was out at coffee with a friend when Yapp tried to call the soon-to-be-crowned co-captain. Teammate Katalina Amosa has since backed the second rower in the role, insisting she is ready to lead the Wallaroos.

Yapp is also supremely confident in Leaney’s ability to take on this responsibility, describing it as “just the next natural progression” in the NSW Waratahs enforcer’s role as a leader within the national side.

“She’s been outstanding as a leader on and off the field,” Yapp told reporters in Manchester.

“Her experiences she’s got from playing overseas and she leads the lineout really well alongside [Michaela Leonard].

“Just seeing that growth in her on and off the field has been really impressive.

“She’s been leading a lot within training and then obviously with the [Pesi] injury… we introduced her a couple of games out in terms of that vice-captaincy role,” she went on to explain.

“She’s a leader on the field. She’s been captain on the field before.”

Leaney joins former Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard in the second row, while Piper Duck – another ex-skipper of the national side – packs down at blindside. Duck joins Chancellor and powerful No. 8 Tabua Tuinakauvadra in the loose forwards.

24-Test centre Cecilia Smith is set to start a Test for the first time since the Pacific Four Series, partnering Georgina Friedrichs in the midfield. Desiree Miller and Maya Stewart start on the wings, while 18-year-old Caitlyn Halse makes World Cup history at fullback.

Australia have been drawn in a tough pool along with upcoming opponents Samoa, tournament hosts England, and Pac Four rivals the USA. While next weekend’s clash with the Americans looms as a potential quarter-final decider, beating Samoa is essential first.

“The cliché is one game at a time and just really focusing on our processes and making sure our week stays the same in terms of having real key focuses our various areas; attack, defence, lineout, scrum,” Yapp said.

“Just being really clear with that with the players and focusing very much on us,” she added.

“We wanted to keep some continuity off the back of our last Wales game,”

“Ultimately, Samoa and the USA, they’re games that we want to set us up well with.

“It was really important for us to have some continuity but you’ll see there’s a couple of players that we haven’t included that there’s an opportunity to potentially bring in next week.”