At the dawn of the 2020s, the Wallaroos across their entire history had played just 55 Test matches.
It's a statistic not lost on Faitala Moleka after she celebrated her 25th cap against England last weekend.
Australia's upcoming quarter final against Canada will be the Wallaroos’ 40th Test match of the decade so far - and the 20-year-old Moleka has featured in almost every one following her 2023 debut against Fiji.
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“I'm still trying to get my head around how young I am and to be able to be given the opportunity to not only represent my country, but to represent 25 times,” Moleka told reporters on Tuesday.
“I give a lot of credit to those who played before me.
“If you know the history of Australia women's rugby they used to just play, like, one test match a year.
“If it wasn't for the senior players that played before me and that are still with me, still playing today and still fighting for women's rugby, I don't think that I would have the opportunity to to play consecutive games in three years.
“A lot of the senior players that I started with at 18 are still here today.”
Moleka has been applauded for her growing maturity and composure on the field despite her age, with younger sister Manua also following her into the squad.
“I also have to thank my parents and my circle back at home,” Moleka acknowledged.
“There's a lot of sacrifice and I look up to a lot of the senior girls in here.
“The healthy competition and their willingness to teach the younger girls so that they can bring them up and bring them up to a standard where we can compete with the top nations, they've helped me grow.
“But in terms of off the field, I don't think I've grown at all.
“I think I'm still 18, so I'm just running amok. But on the field, being able to have that confidence to lead my team around the pitch and having them have confidence in me to do that, I think it goes both ways.”
The Wallaroos will be chasing a maiden victory over the Canadians, hungry to make up for a disappointing 45-7 loss earlier this year during the Pacific Four Series.
Playing sold-out World Cup stadiums has been an invaluable experience for Australia and they're determined to buck the trend and produce a surprise result on Sunday morning.
For Moleka, playing in front of 30,000-strong crowds has been hugely beneficial to her own growth.
“It's a different kind of pressure, but I love that pressure because there's nothing else I'd love to do other than play rugby at a sold out stadium,” Moleka said.
“I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff and the girls around me.
“We come at the start of the week, the coaches come prepared on what we need to do in order to be on par with the team that we're versing against, if not better. So a lot of preparation.”
Regardless of what happens come the quarter finals, Moleka is excited by what the future of the Wallaroos holds.
Having played across fullback and flyhalf, the 20-year-old is excited to continue developing her combination with Sevens star Tia Hinds, who has flourished in the XVs game since transitioning earlier this year.
“I love Tia,” Moleka added.
“We have this really good relationship where we help each other out in the 15 space.
“We both know that I'm just a little bit more experienced, but in terms of big moments…Tia kicked the match winning dropkick for Australia to win (at the 2023 Sevens semi final against New Zealand).
“In terms of pressure, I lean towards Tia in terms of how she manages what happens in the games.
“There's a lot of respect. I have a lot of respect for Tia in terms of her resume and her reputation. But I feel like she also respects me as well.
“We just work hand in hand and whatever happens, if we get picked or not picked, we're always there to help each other out.”
