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Wallaroos looking to hand Tregonning a 'fairytale finish' with WXV1 win

By AAP
Jay Tregonning looks on as the Wallaroos warm up. Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Assistant coach Scott Fava is confident the Wallaroos can continue their winning momentum when they meet Wales in WXV1.

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“I feel that this performance on the weekend is really about back-to-back from what we’ve done against France,” Fava told AAP ahead of Friday’s match in Auckland.

The Wallaroos are coming off an historic win against world No. 3 France and are positive they can beat winless Wales too.

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Arabella McKenzie on the Wallaroos’ momentus win over France

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Arabella McKenzie on the Wallaroos’ momentus win over France

It’s a special last Test for the Wallaroos who will farewell head coach Jay Tregonning after two years at the helm.

Fava shared a heartfelt message to his outgoing coach.

“For me, being able to be with him in this role and give him every opportunity to leave a winner will be superb in that sort of fairytale finish, so we’re hoping that happens,” said Fava.

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Returning to the bench after recovering from a knee injury, Lori Cramer said the team was full of confidence after the upset win over France.

“The atmosphere is really, really good … we don’t want it to be just a one off thing, we really want to prove to everyone that women’s rugby is really going places,” she said.

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The Wallaroos are looking to score big against Wales, who suffered a demoralising loss against world No. 2 New Zealand, going down 70-7.

“If we play the kind of rugby that we want to tomorrow, we’re gonna score a lot of points … it’s just up to us,” said Cramer.

The Wallaroos have a 100 per cent winning record against Wales, leaving Fava full of confidence.

“We’re really pumped to have Wales as our last opponent because we know that’s the sort of opportunities we can provide ourselves and at the same time deny Wales of those opportunities,” Fava said.

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The Wallaroos can move from fourth to third in the WXV1 standings with a win and if Canada lose to France on Saturday night.

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Nickers 1 hour ago
The All Blacks' backline is to blame for Robertson's unflattering record

I think the back line was looking close to a finished product by the end of last year, and the same players now looking ordinary is due to subbing out world class backs/attack coach Joe Schmidt and replacing him with Jason Holland and MacDonald - Two middling Super Rugby coaches whose teams got significantly better after they left. For reasons known only to NZR they make the best coaches pitch against each other rather than bringing them together. You can thank them for Tony Brown. It’s crazy to me that neither Schmidt or Brown are involved in the ABs set up despite them being the best in the business and from NZ to boot. Coaches who have only been involved in SR just can’t drive standards like coaches with international experience. Jason Ryan has been the exception, with the ABs losing so much experience and being so injury plagued but still finding parity against England and an admittedly weakened SA pack. We’d had a world class 9 for such a long time I’d forgotten what it was like not to have one, but it sucks. Roigard is one of very few players in a while to come into the team and instantly look at home playing international rugby. He has had a significant knee injury though, I don’t know how long it will take him to get back to 100%. There aren’t currently any more 10s in NZ. Harry Plummer had a strong SR season but it’s early days so he is an unknown. It’s hard to imagine someone who is not one of Barrett, Mounga, or DMac being 10 at the next WC. Jordie is being asked to play a very one dimensional role this year. He was used as the second receiver playmaker a lot last year and was instrumental in unlocking another dimension of our attack. Reiko - I’m the same as you. I don’t think he is excelling or failing. Very strong ball carrier and insanely good cover defender. I think it depends how they want to play. There was a time a couple of years ago you wouldn’t have dreamed Lukanyo Am would be surpassed by Kriel who is the definition of one dimensional - but it suits how SA play. Am can’t do what they ask Kriel to do. Billy Proctor is one of the new young guys on the rise who had a great SR season, easily the best centre in the comp and probably the most likely to find his way in to the ABs team. He is 25. To me it’s obvious Will Jordan and Clarke should be on the wings. Leaving Beauden Barrett at 15 for now but most people would love to see Ruben Love get some time there. Very exciting player who fills that second play maker role, and was one of the two strangest exclusions from this years squad. He is 23. Agree about Telea and Reece. Reece had the season of his life in SR, in a poor team, so it’s weird to see him struggling so much coming off the form of his life but he has struggled at this level consistently. Telea has been so good he deserves more chances. He will be 28 next year which is when ABs wings are discarded. In summary of my rambling comment I think we are using the best players currently available in the backs, they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing too often like they were pre - Schmidt. Jordie is only 27, Reiko 27, Jordan 26, McKenzie 29, Clarke 25, Telea 27, Reece 27 - these are not old guys. They’ve been around for a while but time is on their side for the next WC.

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