Saturday's Rugby World Cup opener against Samoa is more than a game for Cecilia Smith.
It's also a chance to rewrite history, lock down a starting Wallaroos jersey and honour her heritage all in one.
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Smith, 31, will bring up her 25th Test cap and make her starting World Cup debut when she lines up at inside centre to take on Manusina at Salford Community Stadium.
The Apia-born midfielder was limited to just 15 minutes off the bench during the 2022 World Cup and told reporters her first ever tournament start was made all the more special by facing Samoa.
"Really excited, I mean I was kind of emotional when my name was called up at 12, so yeah, I think it was a really proud moment for me," Smith said.
"Obviously the last World Cup was really tough with not getting selected, and then being able to work hard ever since then to really push for this one makes it even more special.
"To be able to get a start is, yeah, I'm speechless .. and to see our Pacific nation here on the big stage and play against them is in the first game is awesome.
"Everyone want to compete for a jersey but I think when I saw Samoa on there, I was like that'd be so cool to be able to play against them.
"We know what they're like and I feel like I see myself in them as well, like, big hard runners, they're all physical and, you know, to be able to have that challenge out there is pretty cool." In 2022, Smith found herself battling Trilleen Pomare for a reserve midfield role behind the established Sharni Williams and then-rising star Georgina Friedrichs.
Now teammates at the Western Force, Smith and Pomare will push each other once more to wearing starting Wallaroos gold inside Friedrichs throughout the tournament while the uncapped Manu'a Moleka is hot on their heels.
"We have a combo going on when we're down there in Perth, but we're similar players so I think that's where it gets a little bit hard for them to kind of pick, because we're kind of the same," Smith said of Pomare.
"But, I don't know, I think it's a healthy competition as well, like, we really help each other out for that 12 jersey.
"Freddie (Friedrichs) is fit and fast, so having her out on the wider channels whereas I'm more physical in that middle to just get our punch going, so I think we complement each other as well."
Smith's not the only Samoan Wallaroo set to lace up either with the likes of Katalina Amosa and Faitala Moleka named to face Manusina - but rest assured there'll be no holds barred.
"It'll be a touching moment, I think, for my family as well but Australia has provided so many opportunities for myself. I love my culture but in the end I will be representing Australia and I'm playing for my country," Amosa told reporters.
"[Samoa] are a very physical side, they're very strong, they have very deep morals and we know that they're going to come out fighting from the start, so it's just making sure that we front up physically and then just making sure we stick to our process throughout the game.
"I think this will set us up for the rest of our pool games against the USA and England by just making sure that, like I said, we're sticking to our processes, we're doing our set piece right, getting the small one percenters right … and that first 10 to 20 minutes is going to be really critical for us to make sure that we're fronting up."
