Sevens sensation Charlotte Caslick faced a challenging debut in 15-a-side rugby as her first outing for the Queensland Reds culminated in a 36-14 defeat at the hands of the NSW Waratahs.
Having achieved nearly every accolade possible in the shorter format, Caslick is now pursuing the coveted Wallaroos jersey for this year’s Rugby World Cup in England.
The 30-year-old entered the field as a substitute, playing 28 minutes at fullback at Ballymore, but found little opportunity to display her renowned attacking prowess during the match on Sunday.
Charlotte Caslick of the Reds in action during the round three Super Rugby Women’s match. Getty
However, Caslick demonstrated glimpses of her elite talent, including a dazzling 20-metre run down the sideline late in the match.
“Losing to NSW is obviously disappointing, but it’s thrilling to kick off my journey in 15s,” said Caslick.
“I’m eager to truly understand the game and continue to progress, which is why I’ve committed to seeing the entire season through.”
The Waratahs, who are the reigning Super Rugby Women’s champions, saw standout performances from wingers Maya Stewart and Adiana Talakai, both of whom scored doubles.
NSW led 19-14 at half-time before pulling away in the second half.
“We anticipated a physical contest against the Reds, who have been improving year on year,” commented NSW captain Piper Duck.
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“It was certainly hot and humid, but we discussed who wanted it more.
“The girls dug deep, and I’m truly proud of how we performed. We’ve been building every week, and it’s great to see it all starting to come together.”
Reds prop Eva Karpani faced off against her former teammates from last year’s title-winning squad.
“I felt the rivalry from the other side for the first time. It was intense, with plenty of talk and laughter on the field,” Karpani said.
“This was a crucial game for us to elevate our level this season. It made it clear that we need to impose our style of play if we are to face teams like NSW in the finals again.”
On Saturday, the Fijiana Drua edged past the ACT Brumbies with a scoreline of 21-15.
With a record of 2-1, the Waratahs currently top the competition, just one point ahead of the Drua.
The Reds, at 1-1, are sitting in third place.
WARATAHS 36 Maya Stewart 2, Adiana Talakai 2, Georgina Friedrichs, Seneti Kilisimasi tries; Arabella McKenzie 3 conversions REDS 14 Caitlin Urwin, Kahli Henwood tries; Lori Cramer 2 conversions). HT: 19-14
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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