The draw for the third round of the 2014/15 Women's Sevens World Series in Atlanta has been made with the Qantas Australian side drawn alongside Fiji, Spain and France in Pool B.
Tim Walsh's side will kick off the tournament on Sunday 15 March (3am AEDT) against the Fijiana. This will be third time that Australia has played the islanders in three events - Australia won the first meeting in Dubai 47-0, followed by a 38-7 victory in Sao Paulo earlier this month.
Spain are next up for the Aussies (5.44am AEDT) at the 8,500-seater Fifth-Third Bank Stadium with the two sides previously meeting in the pool stage in Dubai in December. An Ellia Green hat-trick helped Australia to a comfortable 39-0 win.
On paper, Australia's biggest threat looks like coming in the third game of the day against the big improvers on the World Series circuit, France, who currently sit in the automatic spots for Olympic qualification. Australia emerged victorious from their only meeting so far this season - a 24-10 win in Dubai.
Elsewhere, series leaders New Zealand, four points ahead of Australia in the series standings, have been handed a tough assignment in the pool stages with games against the impressive USA, Russia and South Africa. Canada, third in the 2014/15 overall standings, has been drawn in Pool C alongside England, Brazil and China.
Last season, defeat to Canada at the Cup Semi-Final stage in a freezing Atlanta consigned Australia to a 3rd/4th Place Play-Off game against Russia, a game that saw the Aussies walk away with a hard-earned 22-12 win.
Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens fixtures for Atlanta, USA on 15-16 March (AEDT):
Australia v Fiji, Pool B, 3.00am (AEDT), 15 March
Australia v Spain, Pool B, 5.44am (AEDT), 15 March
Australia v France, Pool B, 8.28am (AEDT), 15 March
