What better environment to create a piece of history than at
a Women's Rugby World Cup and that is certainly something
Australia have their sights set on as they target a first ever
victory over the New Zealand Black Ferns in their Pool A encounter
on Tuesday.
Australia have gradually been closing the gap on their Trans
Tasman rivals, the last meeting resulting in a 22-16 victory for
the Black Ferns back in October 2008 and a stark contrast to their
encounter only four days earlier in Canberra when the margin was a
one-sided 37-3.
The Wallaroos have had to sit and watch as the Black Ferns
have won the last three Women's Rugby World Cups dating back to
1998, but Australia's success in the inaugural women's
event at RWC Sevens 2009 has established a new belief in the side
that anything is possible.
"We have really good competition with them and in all
the games we have played against them over the last 10 years we
have been inching closer and closer and hopefully we peak at the
right time and have it in us to beat them," said Debby
Hodgkinson, the Wallaroos number 8.
"Not only do they have a strong physical presence, but
they are extremely clinical in everything that they do. There set
piece is strong, their backs are fast and slick, so obviously there
are a very difficult opponent to be playing but to win a World Cup
you have to beat everyone.
Beat the best
"It is unfortunate for us that we have drawn them in our
pool, but if we want to win this we may as well go ahead and take
on the world champions. You may as well challenge yourself in every
single game. We need to look at it in a positive light and if you
want to win you have got to beat everyone."
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Hodgkinson, who comes into the starting line up after starting
on the bench against Wales on day one, has experienced victory over
New Zealand in Sevens, not least the "exhilaration" of
sudden death extra-time glory in the RWC Sevens final in Dubai last
year.
Named the Player of the Tournament, Hodgkinson admits the
success is a "confidence booster" as they prepare to face
the Black Ferns in the standout match on day two, but she knows
only too well that Sevens and the 15-a-side version of the Game are
different prospects.
"We need to believe that as a group we are capable of
beating a team that is so reputable. You have got to remember that
the people in that team have changed over the last 10 years and as
Australians we love to be underdogs, to be battlers, to be in that
position to try and beat the best.
"It is definitely a mental thing as well with New
Zealand because they are so renowned for being unbeatable. You are
challenged with the haka at the beginning, but we find it more of a
motivator to help us ignite us, to come together and be able to
beat them.
Living a dream
"We are yet to do it in the Fifteens, we have done it in
the Sevens, but Sevens is totally different to Fifteens. There have
been comparisons, suggesting we may be able to do it, but it is a
different ball game, different players.
"I do believe we are capable of doing it if we come out
with our right heads and the right game."
Nicole Beck, the youngest member of Australia's winning
side in Dubai, was a try scorer in the Wallaroos' 26-12 defeat
of Wales last Friday and like Hodgkinson is itching to get out on
the pitch against the Black Ferns and try to secure that elusive
first test victory.
"It still seems like a dream to me," admitted Beck,
a try scorer in the RWC Sevens final alongside Hodgkinson and one
of seven players from that RWC Sevens final in the Wallaroos
line-up to face the Black Ferns.
"When we come here and look at all these teams and look
at how well we did there, it's just a dream and I just
can't believe we went through and won it still.
More to lose
"I'm definitely getting nervous, but looking at our
past against New Zealand we have been slowly creeping close, the
score line and it will be a really hard hit out, we are each
other's rivals and it could go either way.
"It definitely helps the whole team knowing that
we've got a fair few girls from the Sevens in this team as well
and I think that brings confidence to the whole group knowing that
they can be beaten.
"In my eyes they have a lot more to lose than any other
team [with their record in World Cups], not that we are saying we
are the underdogs, but it just feels like there is a little less
pressure. We can just go out and play our game, but they have the
added expectations on them.
"To win it would be so awesome, but we've still got
South Africa and we can't let our guard down. Even if we do end
up losing it's not the end, it will just be experienced needed
to go into the semis and finals, so either way there will be
positives we can take out from it."
Hodgkinson will make her first start of the tournament at
number 8 with regular captain Cheryl Soon returning at scrum half
to form a new half-back pairing with Tobie McGann after fly half
Tui Ormsby was ruled out of the World Cup with a fractured eye
socket.
'Pretty sublime'
The elevation into the starting XV of these three RWC Sevens
winners are among seven changes Wallaroos coach John Manenti has
made to face the Black Ferns, who ran in nine tries to defeat South
Africa 55-3 on the opening day.
Manenti's counterpart Brian Evans has labelled the
opening quarter of that match "pretty sublime" after
seeing his charges wrap up the try-scoring bonus point by then with
Carla Hohepa (2), Fiao'o Fa'amausili and Kelly Brazier
touching down.
Evans has made a few changes to his starting line-up to face
the Wallaroos, bringing in two new props in Mel Bosman and
Stephanie Te Ohaere-Fox and RWC Sevens finalist Linda Itunu in the
forwards and another Victoria Grant to the left wing to give
Rebecca Mahoney the start at full back.
"We love playing Australia and they are the same.
They're going to want to take it to us physically and
they're a very good side, I saw them the other day against
Wales and they played well," explained Evans, in his first
World Cup as Black Ferns coach.
"We're going to have to be on our game. They've
got some strike power across the field, but we're looking
forward to it - we love playing Australia."
Avenge the loss
Justine Lavea and Hohepa - the leading try scorer after her
hat-trick against South Africa on day one - both scored tries in
that RWC Sevens loss to Australia and Evans admits a desire for
revenge may be an added motivator for them as well as Grant,
Huriana Manuela and Itunu who experienced the pain of that defeat.
"For some of the players who played in Dubai they're
probably going to want to avenge that loss to the Aussies,"
admitted Evans. "I guess to some of the other players it's
not a huge factor for them, but there's a number who lost that
day and they'll want to get one back.
"I think the Sevens win for Australia does have some
merit, possibly not in the men's game but I think in the
Women's Game to have seven, eight, nine players of that quality
in your squad can make a huge difference.
"So we'll be watching out for some of their named players from there. They pipped us at that Sevens tournament so that's probably heightened our awareness of them and our expectation of what's going to come out there."