The five story lines this weekend pretty much all have an impact on the Wallaroos squad selection.

1. The Reds v Waratahs game is a semi-international battle. The Reds 23 has 14 current/former Wallaroos/ Aussie7s players plus a current USA international, a Tongan international and a former Black Fern while the Waratahs have 13 current/former Wallaroos.

2. The Queensland Reds take on the NSW Waratahs with as full a contingent of rugby sevens players as you could ever have. Not only are Teagan Levi and Kahli Henwood starting, the bench has Bella Nasser, Charlotte Caslick and Faythe Manera who moved this year from the sevens program to the Reds.

With a Caslick debut we finally get to see her in action and she has committed to the Reds for the remainder of the season.

3. Reds v Tahs, a real front row battle. Adding spice Tahs’ Adiana Talakai saying: ‘It’s better dead than Red’. It is close to two Wallaroo front rows going head-to-head.

For the Reds it is all Wallaroos, Bree-Anna Browne, Brittany Merlo, Eva Karpani against the Tahs’ Bridie O’Gorman, Talakai, both Wallaroos, and Faliki Pohiva who must be in the mix to become a Wallaroo. This should be some compulsory viewing.

At the same time with Karpani and Pohiva, you have two of the biggest ball runners bending the defensive line.

4. Further out in the backline of the Reds v Waratahs game is the battle of the 13s. There is a newbie Reds player, Aussie Sevens star and firebrand Levi up against Tahs/Wallaroos stalwart and arguably first picked Georgina Friedrichs. Both are ruck monkeys, the turnover battle will be seriously intense.

Noting, it’s a few years ago now but Friedrichs had 3-4 years in the Aussie 7s program before moving to the 15s game. Then, not quite at the same intensity as Aussie 7s Henwood is up against the 2024 Wallaroo player of the year May Stewart. At the same time, one cannot ignore the Carys Dallinger v Bella McKenzie flyhalf battle.

It is likely only one will make the Wallaroos squad with Faitala Moleka pretty much a selection lock.

Charlotte Caslick. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

5. It’s not all just Reds v Tahs. The Brumbies head to Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji expecting a fierce battle up front. In what may well be a first, the Brumbies appear to be going with a 6:2 split on the bench.

Then on the Sevens front, it will be interesting to see Tia Hinds, who played flyhalf last week, starts at fullback. These Sevens players seem to have a real backline versatility. Hopefully her sevens background will have given her experience in tackling rampaging Fijians.

Some quality viewing this weekend, two games, multiple story lines.

SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s

Fijian Drua v ACT Brumbies
Saturday 15 March 2:35 pm AEDT
Churchill Park, Lautoka
Live on Stan Sport

Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs
Sunday, 2.05pm AEST (3:05pm (AEDT))
Ballymore Stadium
Live on Stan Sport