Wallaroos flyhalf Waiaria Ellis is putting any personal feelings aside as she prepares to face one of her heroes, Black Ferns flyhalf Ruahei Demant, on Saturday in Auckland.
Ellis and Demant will go head-to-head at flyhalf after the 18-year-old was named for her debut starts in the halves.
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It comes just over a year since the talented teenager burst onto the scene as a winger in the corresponding O'Reilly Cup fixture.
Demant, named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2022, remains the Black Ferns' longest-serving captain after guiding them to the World Cup title that year.
The two faced off during the Women's Super Rugby Champions Final earlier in the month, with even Ellis' family star-struck by the legendary Kiwi.
“It’s pretty exciting and I’m a bit nervous because growing up when we were watching women’s Rugby, Ruahei was definitely someone I looked up to. Even when we played the Blues [in the Champions Final], my mum was asking for a photo of her because she’s just such a world-class player," she said and smiled.
“I never thought I'd be here up against one of the greatest of all time. Knowing I'm there, and also believing in myself that I can do a job, hopefully one day like her. It’s pretty surreal, I would say.”
Ellis has made a seamless transition since taking over the playmaking duties for the NSW Waratahs.
The move helped the Waratahs to a third straight title, having missed the start of the Super Rugby Women's season due to injury.
“For myself, I debuted for the Wallaroos at wing, and then moved to fullback, but then also being in this flyhalf position, I think just my leadership has grown," she said on her growth since the move.
“The coaches have instilled a lot of confidence in myself with just being able to play the game that I play and just getting the girls around me and really helping me lead the team around and playing the footy that I want to play.
“...I was definitely nervous at first because flyhalf is such a crucial position and you need to know the game and what you’re doing but the coaching staff and girls have installed so much confidence in me."
Wallaroos assistant and Waratahs head coach Mike Ruthven has backed the agile flyhalf to defy her size disadvantage, standing at 170 cm, and make an impact.
"There was never a question or a doubt around 'Baba' being ready to do that and she performed really well through Super W there. Her biggest growth has been her maturity in understanding the game and her capacity to manage momentum," he added.
“She's communicated really well in team meetings and will certainly do a really good job to steer the team around, so really confident in her on the weekend.”
