A regional double-header at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park represented the final round of games in the competition, with Scarlets Ladies and Ospreys Women locked in a winner-takes-all battle. As has been the case in the past, there was very little to separate the two rivals, with Scarlets ultimately edging the contest by 17-12.
“We always knew it was going to be a tough game, what with both teams being so equal,” Harries reflected. “What won it in the end was our huge defensive effort. Ospreys had a high percentage of possession, so it came down to a combination of determination in defence, plus the thought in the back of our mind that we could take the championship for the third time.”
Both sides had been in imperious form in the run-in to the final weekend of games, but their previous encounter in October suggested the odds were slightly in Ospreys’ favour. “We lost 12-10 to them in St Helen’s, and yesterday was another close game,” said the Wales back row. “It always tends to come down to the day between us: back in October they were the more dominant team, then yesterday it went in our favour.”
“One of the comments made by our manager after the game was that it’s great that we can play so competitively against each other on the field, and then after the game the first thing we did was congratulate or console each other. We are close rivals, but there’s also a lot of close friendships across the teams.”
Harries, who has captained Scarlets for the past four seasons, hails from Aberaeron and grew up supporting the famous Llanelli side. “Captaining the Scarlets Ladies to the regional championship for the third year running means everything to me,” she says. “To do so on the same day the men beat Toulon makes it extra special.”
Now approaching her 40th cap for her country, tireless performances like the one Harries put in yesterday will do her no harm come Six Nations selection time early next year. Indeed, Wales Women head coach Rowland Phillips was in Cardiff to address the victorious Scarlets straight after the match. “The first comment he made was about my yellow card,” Harries laughs, disputing the offside call, adding that she “might have taken one for the team there.”
It’s not just the new head coach’s expertise in back row play that is helping her game. “One of the main things Rowland has done this year is to instil confidence in every one of the players,” says Harries, who is a PE teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera in Swansea. “Nobody’s given me a free pass to roam, but I feel much more confident in being able to play my style of rugby.”
“Rowland is a great believer in supporting individual talent and pushing yourself forward to being the best player you can be. His presence yesterday just inspired a lot of confidence in everyone.”
Playing in a high-level competition at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park is allowing the Wales Women players a further opportunity to familiarise themselves with the venue.
“It’s our new home, so you need a sense of home there,” she believes. “I’m excited about Wales Women hosting Ireland and England there in the Six Nations next year, but if I’m honest, I’m just hoping to secure a place in the squad. It’s one thing at a time.”
Wales Women have a couple of training sessions before Christmas, and there is a potential trial match to keep the players on their toes before Phillips names his Six Nations squad in the New Year. The focus between now and then will be to reach peak physical condition.
“I do enjoy the conditioning side of things – well, as much as anybody can actually enjoy doing fitness,” Harries says. “Having a full-time S&C coach in James Nolan is really beneficial for us. To get together twice a week and have that focus from James, and all the time he gives us, is going to really pay off.”
Wales Women host England (11th February) and Ireland (10th March) at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park in the 2017 Six Nations. For ticket information, click here.
