Names like Portia Woodman, Sarah Goss, Tyla Nathan-Wong and Kelly Brazier may be missing, but the Black Ferns will unleash a couple excitement machines against Australia on Saturday night.
The historic test is part of a double-header, as the women’s best 15s rugby players from New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head alongside their male counterparts.
The world champion Black Ferns have never lost to the Wallaroos in 15 tests and are big favourites to extend that winning record in Sydney.
But without some of the biggest names in the women’s game, there is a sense New Zealand are ripe to be hijacked by the Aussies.
Coach Glen Moore is fully prepared for an Australian ambush at Homebush, but believes the absence of players like Woodman could uncover the next big thing in the women’s game.
"Alena [Saili] is a young player who hasn't played a lot of 15s in the last few years, with her commitment to the seven’s setup," Moore told Newshub.
"But she is super talented, super confident, and she possesses power and pace. She certainly knows how to score tries.
"One thing about Alena that really stands out is that she has a unique ability to see what is in front of her and communicate with her teammates. She strives in pressure situations."
World Cup winner Stacey Waaka could very well be best on show on Saturday night, with Moore proclaiming his star back as the best centre in women’s rugby.
Moore expects Waaka to be pivotal to New Zealand success in the two-match series.
"Stacey is a super-talented player, as we have seen with her exploits on the sevens circuit the last few years," Moore said. "She has a superb history in the 15s game as well.
"She was probably our best player in 2015 in Canada [Women’s Rugby World Cup], she then had a year off with injury, but bounced back quickly.
"She was simply outstanding at the World Cup last year and in my view, she is the best centre in the world."
Moore has had a close eye on his opposition in the build-up to the series, spending time in Australia during the inaugural Women’s Super Series that featured all Australian state sides.
The 58-year-old, already impressed with Australia’s performances at the World Cup, believes they have gone up another level and will pose a serious threat to the Black Ferns.
"They have had a lot of changes from their World Cup side," Moore told Newshub.
"I actually think they were really unlucky during the tournament. They deserved a better result as not much seemed to go their way in terms of the bounce of the ball and a few officiating decisions.
"I was impressed with how their overall game developed during the Super Series and the final was a superb game of rugby, so I would expect alot from them.
"They have very powerful forwards and I think they will be a lot more athletic than Australian teams of the past with their attacking backs.
"I think they will probably be a bit more prepared than us, given their involvement in the Super competition."
Newshub.
