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          Super Rugby W's Super Moments Semifinals: Halse playing beyond her years

          • Brittany Mitchell, ESPN Assistant EditorApr 21, 2024, 08:09 PM
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              Brittany Mitchell has been a sports fan from an early age, with a keen interest in netball, cricket and rugby. Brittany interned at Rugby Magazine and the Australian Rugby Union before joining ESPN.
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          The Super Rugby Women's 2024 grand finalists are locked in with the Fijian Drua and Waratahs setting up a scintillating 2023 semifinal rematch.

          In front of a packed out home crowd, the Drua came out on top of a rampaging Western Force who pushed them right to the limit, while the Waratahs put on a dominant performance to overcome a dogged Brumbies side.

          Read on for three super moments in Super Rugby Women's semifinals.

          CAITLYN HALSE PLAYING BEYOND HER YEARS

          At just 17 years of age, and in her second season of Super Rugby Women, Waratahs fullback Caitlyn Halse has taken her game to another level over the last two weeks. Her performance against the Brumbies in the semifinal her most complete yet.

          Halse had her hand in almost everything in the win. She sent a beautiful wide cut-out ball to Georgina Friedrichs to put her in space and eventually find the line in the 14th minute, before she showed off her multifaceted game, sending Desiree Miller over when she held the ball in two hands, took on the line and sliced through the gap before sending a well weighted chip kick down the line for Miller to scoop up and score.

          Her heads-up play was impressive, and her skills with ball in hand -- including flick passes out the back of her hand -- make her the standout fullback in the competition, while her added muscle has made her destructive when taking on the line and in defence.

          Don't be surprised if you see the young gun pulling on the gold next month in the Pacific 4 competition.

          BUNA THE BULLET SHINES ONCE AGAIN

          There's perhaps no more destructive player in Super Rugby Women's than Fijian Drua's Atelaite Buna.

          After she scored a double against the Melbourne Rebels last week, she managed to go one better in her side's semifinal win over the Force, scoring a hattrick in phenomenal fashion.

          Her first was simple. Finding the Force defence short, she simply stepped back off her right foot to slip through one tackler before she fended off another and swan dived over the line. Her second even more so, using her pace to cut through the gap and fly away.

          But her third demonstrates just how incredible a talent she is. Juggling the pass inside her side's 22, she put herself on the outside of the defender, and ran 80m downfield to dive over and seal her team's third straight grand final.

          Her ability to slip off defenders is mind blowing, easily keeping her feet in the tackle and palming off defenfders, while her speed sees her blast through the smallest of gaps and weave her way to the try line.

          Given a sniff next week, she'll take every opportunity to hurt the Waratahs, especially with any loose turnover ball.

          ALWAYS PLAY TO THE WHISTLE

          It's something you have hammered into you from the age of eight all the way through your playing career -- always play to the whistle -- and on Friday, Force wing Siutiti Ma'ake showed exactly why.

          Opting to kick to touch with a penalty and put the pressure on the Drua, Force flyhalf Nicole Ledington failed to find the sideline -- a coach killer in itself -- but was saved when Drua centre Vani Arei juggled and then dropped the ball.

          Not one to let an opportunity go to waste, Ma'ake swooped in, picking up the ball just five metres from the tryline as the Drua simply watched, and dived over for the side's first try of the match.

          For many players, watching your playmaker kick to touch is a chance to have a breather, collect your thoughts and prepare for the next play, but Ma'ake kept switched on, followed the ball down the sideline and was gifted with five points for her efforts after the Drua committed the ultimate sin of not killing the ball and playing to the whistle.

          It wouldn't be enough for the Force though, after they failed to break the Drua's line on multiple occasions in the second half and fell away late in the match, missing a chance to reach their first grand final.