Ali Brigginshaw has warned Australia that England will be more aggressive than traditional foes New Zealand in the one-off Test match in Las Vegas.
The Jillaroos are facing England for only the fourth time in Test match history, and for the first time since the formation of the NRLW ushered in vast improvements to the women’s game in Australia.
Tamika Upton, Keeley Davis and Yasmin Clydsdale are among key Australian players who have not faced the English, having made their Jillaroos debuts since the last fixture in 2017.
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Brigginshaw has played in two of the previous three games, and remembers a clash as part of the 2013 World Cup as particularly aggressive, with two English players sent off.
“They’re an extremely aggressive side. It’s quite the battle,” Brigginshaw told AAP.
“It’s quite fiery, it’s probably more fiery than when we play the New Zealanders. There’s a bit of tension there when it comes to Australia versus England, but I absolutely love it.”
Brigginshaw felt playing in different domestic leagues intensified the match-up.
When the sides last met at the 2017 World Cup, the English squad was comprised entirely of players who had just finished playing in the inaugural Women’s Super League season.
The NRLW, meanwhile, was on the cusp of publicly announcing its first season would take place in 2018.
“They’ve got the Super League over there, so they think their competition is probably a bit better than ours,” Brigginshaw said.
“It’s just extremely fiery about competitiveness and who’s the better country.”
Other than Indigenous All Stars representatives Quincy Dodd, Mahalia Murphy, Keilee Joseph and Olivia Kernick, Australia’s players have not had a competitive hit-out since defeating New Zealand in the Pacific Cup final in November.
But Jillaroos interim coach Jess Skinner prescribed individual workouts for players in the lead-up to their pre-Vegas camp in Queensland that began on Thursday.
All have been in the gym and running, with some players getting together in their cities to train contact together to ensure the team hits the ground running at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (AEDT).
AAP
