Gallagher: "Trailfinders ready to compete with the best"

Niamh Gallagher believes Trailfinders Women have sent out a statement after booking their place in the PWR Play-Offs for the first time. 

The Ealing side beat Gloucester Hartpury 41-39 to end the Circus’ unbeaten season and sew up fourth place in the table. 

They will now face local rivals Saracens in the final match of the regular season, which Gallagher is seeing as another opportunity to show the league what they can do. 

“We are hoping it put out a statement to everyone and it captures the eyes of people not to underestimate us and know the team is ready to compete with the best,” the 20-year-old said. 

“It was a great occasion after the game, celebrating that win. We enjoyed it because we have all worked so hard for it, but our focus still turns to this week and next week.  

“It brings such a sense of pride that we have been able to set out a goal, that we had last season as well as this season, to now be able to achieve it. It fills the team with pride and shows what this team can do.  

“Us as girls, as a group, we have been working week in week out, focussing on analysis, doing deep dives, working hard on and off the ball to be able to put out a performance like we did last week.  

“But it all comes down to us buying into the same mindset, that we are capable of beating the champions.”

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Trailfinders had not beaten any of the three teams above them in the table and suffered a brusing 57-5 defeat to this Saturday’s opponents Saracens in Round 5. 

They will have to face Gloucester Hartpury again the semi-finals of the Play-Offs, but they will do with renewed belief in their abilities. 

Gallagher added: “We can take confidence from the game last week going into next week but we have to look at ourselves.  

“It is a full squad effort, and it is about getting into training next week with all eyes on the semi-final, getting our analysis in on last week against Gloucester and seeing what we can do to improve our performance.” 

The confirmation of a top-four finish was another highlight in the season for Gallagher, who has been nominated for PWR Breakthrough Player of the Year at the Rugby Awards. 

The highlight may well have been earning her first cap for Ireland during the Women’s Six Nations, as she was able to represent both of her parents’ homeland. 

“That came as a surprise,” Gallagher said of her call-up. “At Trailfinders, I am just taking each game as it comes so to get recognised by the coaches in Ireland was unbelievable and a dream come true and to just be in that camp and do the training was amazing, I learned so much. 

“I’ve always had a connection to Ireland, every half-term holiday we were always flying back. Most of my family still live over there so there is so much connection to Ireland. 

“It filled me with such pride to be able to go out there and play with them watching me in the crowd, and so many of my family come out to watch. It was just an amazing experience and almost a surreal moment.”