Jillaroos on track for full-strength squad in Cup final
Australia coach Brad Donald is confident of having his entire squad fit for the first time in the Pacific Championships when the Jillaroos contest the Pacific Cup final.
Co-captain Kezie Apps and hooker Olivia Higgins suffered injuries in the second half of a 14-0 win over New Zealand that punched Australia’s ticket to next month’s final on Sunday.
But Donald revealed Higgins had been confident she could have returned from her arm injury after Apps made it back onto the field in Christchurch with her sore left foot.
“It looked like Liv might’ve dislocated her wrist at some point but it popped back in. She was asking to go back on, as was Kezie,” Donald said.
“They were both pretty keen to get back out there so they’re good signs for the squad.”
The Jillaroos have endured injury setbacks across the opening two rounds of the tournament, with co-captain Ali Brigginshaw rubbed out of the series opener against PNG with a finger injury.
Forward Jess Elliston and first-choice hooker Quincy Dodd missed the defeat of the Kiwi Ferns with quadriceps injuries, while utility Lauren Brown has been sidelined with a hamstring issue since the Prime Ministers’ XIII match earlier this month.
But Donald says he will “most definitely” have his full squad available on November 10, when the Jillaroos will host the winner of New Zealand’s clash against Papua New Guinea at CommBank Stadium.
“Any one of those players that didn’t play today could have taken the field except for Quincy. We’re in a pretty good state,” Donald said.
“Even Lauren (is a chance), she’s been training really well.”
Donald felt it unsurprising to have had injury concerns throughout the series, given a longer women’s league calendar than ever before.
Players went into camp for the first three-match State of Origin series in mid-May, before joining their clubs for pre-season and a competition that stretched 11 weeks by grand final day.
“They’ve all got a few niggles but it’s been a long season,’ Donald said.
“That’s probably why we’re getting the quality of footy that we got today too. It goes with the territory but there’s a few injuries. But we’ll be right in two weeks’ time.”
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