Wallaroos outside back Lori Cramer is searching for eternal bragging rights ahead of Saturday’s match against the USA.
Cramer is set to go toe-to-toe with partner and USA Eagles prop Charli Jacoby in York, with the winning team all but securing their place in the quarter-finals.
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The pair have been together for over a year, playing together at both Exeter and the Queensland Reds.
“We've played against each other so many times, so we totally keep it separate. There's rugby and then there's us and they're two totally different things," Cramer told reporters.
“I mean, obviously you want to ask what's the game plan? But I think we're a bit more professional than that so it hasn't been a problem in the past.
“Obviously, I've probably got more skin in the game, so I've got bragging rights. I want to win more than anyone. It is a fun part of it but it doesn't affect anything else.”
The two have shared the spoils since being together, with Jacoby starting in the USA’s 32-24 win last year before Cramer got the last laugh in Canberra earlier in the year.
“Really good bragging rights [in May]. Last year, not so much,” she said and smiled.
The Wallaroos are riding high after a flawless 73-0 win over Samoa to start the campaign in Salford.
It was their biggest ever in Australia’s World Cup history, with the fight shown until the end, pleasing Cramer the most.
“Putting on an 80-minute performance was really big. I know that there's been times in games where we've had little lapses or little moments where we kind of lost moments in the game and then allowed other teams to either get a sniff or get a roll on,” she explained.
“I think for us, just being able to put a performance like that and keep the scoreline to nil, I think was really important for us as well. I mean, the 78th minute, we had people being desperate, all throughout the game, there was moments of us just being desperate and really showing up for each other.”
It helps swell the confidence ahead of the must-win game against the Americans, which would make the Wallaroos one of the first teams qualified for the quarter-finals with victory.
“It's a World Cup. You've got to win every game, really,” Cramer insists.
“This is a game that we've been tit-for-tat with the USA for the last couple of encounters so this is definitely a big game for us.
“…“It's a huge game this weekend. Every game is a must win. That doesn't mean that we're counting ourselves out against England at all. It's a World Cup and to be the best, you've got to beat the best and I think that we're up for it.
“Obviously we've got confidence from that last game but you can't really take anything for granted against the USA. They've just got really powerful athletes. They're really fit, fast and strong but so are we.”
