Wallaroos scrumhalf Iliseva Batibasaga believes the influx of returning Sevens stars to the Black Ferns line-up can be an advantage to the visitors ahead of Saturday's clash at Eden Park.
The Black Ferns have named a strong line-up for the Rugby World Cup opener, with Stacey Fluhler pushing Amy du Plessis to inside centre for the first time in her career.
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They are joined in the squad by the likes of Portia Woodman and Sarah Hirini, making the return from the seven-a-side format for the World Cup.
Whilst this adds further explosiveness to an already dynamic back row and backline, the veteran scrumhalf suggests it could open some areas for the Wallaroos to target.
“There is no pressure on us, it’s all on the other team to perform. We do love that mentality and we can play our structures,” she told Rugby.com.au. “We’re footy players, we’re just going to play.
“If we can keep to our structures and expose their weaknesses, play fast and hard we’ll have them.
“We know they have some big names coming in but they’ve only been here one Test against Japan so we’re probably looking to expose them.”
Batibasaga is at her third World Cup, debuting as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in 2006, with the 37-year-old looking to guide the next generation of players through the added hype and expectation that comes with an event like this.
“We all know we’re here to play Rugby but events like this, you have to soak it up," she believes.
“You have to enjoy it because you may play one, two or three World Cups but be here now.
“I think the investment in time from the coaches and management into the team, as well as the preparation the girls have put in, has improved a lot (since 2006).
“Back then, you’d arrive five days from your first Test, you’d have two days to get over jet lag and then run on the field. We’ve been here nearly two weeks, had great preparation and almost ten Tests for this World Cup.
“I think we’ve had the best preparation we’ve ever had leading up. We are still competing against girls who are professional so all we can do is put our best foot forward and trust in the work we have done.”
