Transitioning from Sevens to the XVs game always comes with it's challenges - but Tia Hinds has spent much of the 2025 season making herself indispensable for the Wallaroos halves set up, as they finalise their World Cup preparations.
Despite its rainy and usually blustery reputation, conditions have been good in Wellington so far - although that is forecast to change later in the week before the Black Ferns clash.
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However, speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Hinds admits she's loved the challenges the XV person game has thrown at her compared to Sevens.
"It's very different," Hinds said.
"I'm predominantly 10 and I've been training in at 10. We've got some good nines in there, but I am learning the nine position as well, so if it needs to be covered, I am across it.
"I'm organising and scanning for space and it's very challenging, but I'm enjoying learning new things and new ways to play and new ways to find space, not just in the front line, but you also have the kicking space in behind, being able to read that.
"It's been interesting and really enjoyable to learn."
It has also helped that several of her Reddam House teammates she grew up playing with are also in the squad - including the likes of Maya Stewart and Georgina Friedrichs - with her time at the Brumbies working with Faitala Moleka also hugely beneficial.
While the Wallaroos will have a tough challenge against the Black Ferns on their home soil, their vastly improved performance in Newcastle has been something the side has circled back to, with an aim to grow and build off that.
"We always take positives from games, win, lose or draw," the flyhalf added.
"We did see a lot of positives in that game regardless of the score, we just want to keep building on that and work hard.
"We've had some really good blocks and obviously all these tests into this year really give us good opportunity and time to grow, we're really looking forward to playing this weekend."
One of the biggest joys for Hinds has been the new challenges that come with the game and with that, the chance to develop with both the coaches and her fellow players in the wider squad.
It's a skillset she plans to also take back to Sevens at a later point.
"[The] work on for me is probably knowledge and game experience," Hinds said.
"I am pretty new to the game, so just continuing to learn that knowledge and then be a voice, you know, using that knowledge to communicate that to my team in the ball playing role.
"Think there's so much more space to play with [in Sevens], you have a lot more like smaller bodies who are more athletic and agility wise.
"I do think that there is a lot of opportunity for kicking in Sevens and I'm hoping that, you know, the experience I gained from fifteens I can maybe take back across to Sevens and it could be used more often.
"We had Arabella [McKenzie] in at camp for a little bit, she was really knowledgeable around what I'm looking for and when I should be seeing space.
Lori's [Cramer] also very good with her kick space and then I worked closely with Faitala [Moleka] at Brumbies and she was really helpful in teaching me the game - she was really that stepping stone for me."
