Desi Miller walks into the Wallaroos' first-ever Anzac Day Test as one of her side's most reliable finishers and, on Thursday, as Rugby Heaven's guest. Speaking to the Rugby.com.au panel 24 hours before Saturday's Laurie O'Reilly Cup clash with the Black Ferns on the Sunshine Coast, Miller covered everything from Tornado Alley sirens to the state of her finishing record — and, more importantly, what this particular jersey means to a squad still raw from a US loss.
Miller began by laughing off a teasing line of questioning about her role in the Rugby Union team's win over Rugby League in the Rivals grand final. "I wouldn't say we carried," she said of the union quartet of herself, Ash Masters, Harry Wilson and Joseph Suaalii. "But I think we worked well as a team and just glad we can hush up everyone that's thought otherwise."
Much more striking was her account of the Wallaroos' recent US tour, which doubled as a weather event. Miller and her teammates stayed in Tornado Alley, and were briefed three times during the week. "That video was of our first warning. We had three that week," she said. "That first one there was a genuine tornado, but it wasn't too close. We found out was like 50 k's away."
"All of us were looking out the window trying to see where it was. We really wanted to see one — and then we all got ushered into the hallway," Miller said. "And then we had two more, our third one being on game day. And then suddenly the sun was out and we had a really pretty sunset and then ended up playing. It was a really big G-up for something that we couldn't see, but it was a cool experience — in Kansas, once in a lifetime."
Rugby-wise, that US trip was the source of the squad's current fire. The Wallaroos lost to the Eagles in Kansas — a result Miller admits the group has not made peace with. "USA really stung, especially the way we trained during the week," she said. "I was really, really proud of it, and it did not reflect whatsoever on the weekend — which is quite disappointing. We've felt that, and coming into this week, obviously it's always a big test against New Zealand."
The pain, she insisted, has shaped the build-up to Saturday. "It's the Laurie O'Reilly, and it's our first Anzac Day Test, which is super special, and we've all recognised it. It's a lot bigger than us, the game on Saturday. I think we're really excited to go out and kind of show what we've been working on. We saw glimpses here and there, but our Achilles heel at the moment is keeping it consistent, and that's something we're going to focus on."
One of the most intriguing subplots Miller was asked to unpack was her tie with teammate Ash Masters at the top of the Wallaroos' all-time try-scoring list — both on 17. The interviewer framed it as ripe for banter. Miller swatted the suggestion away.
"There's no banter between us. I think we get asked that a lot — whether there's that competition," she said. "But I think we're just happy to work for each other and work with each other. Whatever happens happens, but that's not really what we talk about. We're really good friends and we just try to connect on the field and find each other, because I think we work really well and have really good chemistry. No competition, no bad blood. Just good teammates."
The Black Ferns, who have dominated this fixture for the best part of a decade, remain the ultimate gauge of Wallaroo progress. Miller, who has studied the footage more than most, believes the gap is measurably shorter than it has been. "Personally on my reflection being in the squad the last few years, I've slowly seen that gap close, and we've started to be able to pick apart their game a little bit more," she said. "This is a new year, a new cycle. They've got a lot of new faces in the squad. We've got a lot of new faces in the squad. So it just comes to who's going to turn up more on the day, and I'm backing us for that."
"I think we've worked really hard, and we need to have belief in ourselves that we can go and compete against these top-four teams. That's where we want to be. Being able to verse New Zealand quite regularly each year is such a good opportunity. New year, new cycle — anything can happen."
The Wallaroos kick off against the Black Ferns on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday afternoon — Australia's first Anzac Day Test in the sport's history, and a chance for Miller, Masters and a mostly new-look group to validate a week of hard-edged preparation. If the USA sting lit the fire, the Black Ferns are, as ever, the yardstick.
