Wallaroos fullback Lori Cramer has been installed at flyhalf and Charlotte Caslick will start when the Queensland Reds hit a magical milestone for women’s rugby on Saturday.
The revised Reds backline will take on the ACT Brumbies at Canberra’s Viking Park in an afternoon kick-off to SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s.
The match will be the 100th played by the Queensland women’s team since the first against Canadian province Alberta at Ballymore in 1996.
The versatile Cramer is often used in a first receiver role during the course of matches. The role will be more formal on Saturday with No.10 on her back.
Rugby sevens superstar Charlotte Caslick will start at fullback after getting her first taste of Super Rugby Women’s with her 28 minutes off the bench against the NSW Waratahs last Sunday.
Caslick openly said she still had plenty to learn after her first foray into 15-a-side rugby for more than a decade.
A sharp 20m run, on a blindside play worked with replacement halfback Nat Wright, was a hint of what Caslick is capable of as her confidence grows.
"Lori has trained plenty of reps at flyhalf for us and I've seen her play there for University of Queensland last year. We discussed the possibility of her getting some time at No.10 from the start," Reds head coach Andrew Fraser said.
"We know Charlotte is a world class rugby player. We saw glimpses against the Waratahs last Sunday with the speed she can put into the game with a little space."
The Reds are working diligently on sharpening their shortcomings in the 36-14 loss to the Waratahs while building on some hammering defence and two fine tries.
Caslick has made a full-season commitment to the Reds while fellow Australian sevens players Teagan Levi, Kahli Henwood and Bella Nasser have now swung back into sevens mode.
Ivania Wong is back on the wing to play a record 40th time for the Reds. Faythe Manera will play at outside centre in Canberra.
In the pack, Bond University’s Zoe Hanna will start at No.8 while Deni Ross is back at lock.
On the bench, a likely Reds debut is in store for pacy flyer Piper Flynn.
“The match against the Waratahs was frustrating and I didn’t feel the final scoreline reflected the effort we put in for 80 minutes,” Reds co-captain Jemma Bemrose said.
“We didn’t capitalise on opportunities we did create. We know we have to ice those chances against the Brumbies.
“We made some big plays defensively but that consistency has to be there too.”
Fraser said the match on Saturday had great significance.
"This is the 100th occasion that the Queensland women's team will play. It's truly fitting of that prestige that we will be playing for a finals spot in Canberra," Fraser said.
"We know the Brumbies play a fairly direct game with their forwards and their 6-2 bench reinforces that.
"We have a pack that's ready for the challenge. Zoe Hanna, who comes in at No.8, is a really good prospect for Queensland. On the bench, (backrower) Maraea Tupai will bring her experience and no-fear method of coming into the line."
The Queensland team's 100-game milestone is a credit to the research of former Wallaroo Vanessa Bradley, who painstakingly pieced together the history of Queensland women's rugby game-by-game with her Cap Project.
SMARTECH Super Rugby Women’s
Saturday, March 22
12:05pm (AEST)
Viking Park, Canberra
Live on Stan Sport
1 Bree-Anna Browne
2 Tiarna Molloy
3 Eva Karpani
4 Tiarah Minns
5 Deni Ross
6 Jemma Bemrose (cc)
7 Carola Kreis
8 Zoe Hanna
9 Layne Morgan
10 Lori Cramer
11 Ivania Wong (cc)
12 Shalom Sauaso
13 Faythe Manera
14 Caitlin Urwin
15 Charlotte Caslick
Reserves: 16 Zophronia Setu, 17 Cristo Taufua, 18 Charli Jacoby, 19 Veneta Teutau, 20 Maraea Tupai, 21 Nat Wright, 22 Carys Dallinger, 23 Piper Flynn
