Lead

The NSW Waratahs are one win away from a seventh Super Rugby Women's title, but to get there they must overcome the Fijian Drua on their home turf in Ba, Fiji, on Saturday. The Waratahs booked their place in the grand final with a 33-22 semifinal victory over the Western Force in Perth, while the Drua advanced with a 31-5 win over the Queensland Reds.

Waratahs captain Emily Chancellor said the team's confidence ahead of the final is grounded in trust and experience, not overconfidence. "We got out on the field in that semifinal and there was just this air of clarity around the group," Chancellor told ABC Sport. "It wasn't arrogance. It was just this feeling of we know what to do and we know how to do it, so let's just go out and execute."

Coverage comparison

Reporting from ABC Australia on the grand final and the Waratahs' preparations has focused on the team's mindset and their path to the decider. In one article, Chancellor's comments about confidence and the team's big-game experience were central, alongside details of their semifinal performance. A separate live blog from the same outlet provided squad lists for both teams, a breakdown of each side's route to the final, and the Waratahs' regular-season results.

The live blog noted that the Drua finished the regular season on top of the standings with a 3-1 win-loss record, while the Waratahs dropped their final two regular-season matches — against the Force (28-21) and the Queensland Reds (26-19) — to enter the play-offs in third place. The loss to the Force was the first time the Waratahs had been defeated by an Australian opponent in Super Rugby Women's history.

Key claims

  • The Waratahs won 33-22 over the Western Force in the Super Rugby Women's semifinals.
  • The Waratahs will face the Fijian Drua in the grand final, to be played in Ba, Fiji.
  • The Waratahs' loss to the Force was their first to an Australian opponent in Super Rugby Women's history.
  • Tia Hinds and Waiaria Ellis performed well in the semifinals, with Hinds scoring two tries and Ellis helping drive the Waratahs' attack.
  • The Drua finished the regular season on top of the standings with a 3-1 win-loss record.
  • The Waratahs defeated the Drua 42-29 in the opening round of the regular season.
  • The Waratahs are chasing their seventh Super Rugby Women's title.
  • Waratahs captain Emily Chancellor said the team knows how to play big games and has confidence in their ability to win.
The Waratahs' semifinal performance was described as arguably the best 40 minutes of rugby from any side this season, with four first-half tries giving them a 26-0 lead before the Force scored. Chancellor highlighted the team's strengths: "We know we've got firepower out wide. We know we've got electric backs," she said. "We've got a really strong, physical forward pack that has been quite consistent across the last few years."

For the Drua, the path to the final included a round-one loss to the Waratahs (42-29), followed by wins over the Force (29-24), Brumbies (42-25), and Reds (50-17), before their semifinal victory. The Waratahs' season included wins over the Drua (42-29) and Brumbies (29-17), a bye in round three, and losses to the Force and Reds in the final two rounds.

Perspectives

Waratahs captain Emily Chancellor

Chancellor expressed confidence in her team's ability to perform in big games, describing the semifinal win as a display of clarity and execution. She emphasised the team's trust in its forward pack and backs, and dismissed any suggestion that their confidence borders on arrogance.

(No second perspective)

No other named individuals or institutions provided commentary in the available material.