The Black Ferns may have put a half-century of points on the board in their debut under new coach Allan Bunting, but the prevailing sentiment within the squad is they're still some way off their ceiling.
The Ferns ran in eight tries in their 50-0 win over the Australians last Thursday, but there was a clear lack of cohesion on attack - as you may expect with six debutants in the squad and the absence of some veterans in key positions, most notably retired halfback Kendra Cocksedge.
Nevertheless, when a 50-point victory represents a relatively off night, you can be confident you're trending in the right direction, as the team prepares for the second match of the Pacific Four series in Canada this weekend.
"It's really exciting, especially having so many debutants," said prop Amy Rule. "There was a bit of rust there but it was awesome to see players take opportunities and be brave and give things a go, even though things weren't fully clicking.
"I think building into the rest of the Pacific Four, if we keep that mentality, keep that attitude, keep that intent - things are going to start fully paying off . We're going to look a bit sharper and it's going to be even more exciting footy.
"We talk about DNA and about what makes us Black Ferns, and it's just about being your authentic self and showcasing your superpowers."
In the week leading into the Australian test, Bunting insisted he had no intention of trying to reinvent the team's commitment to an expansive gameplan that led to so much success under previous coach Sir Wayne Smith.
Although that was evident in Brisbane, the defensive end was where the Ferns really shone, launching into their work with an elevated level of intensity to keep a clean line, restricting the hosts to scant genuine try-scoring opportunities.
Halfback Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu admits there are few differences in the coaching approach under Bunting and Smith - but there's one area where their new charge has applied a magnifying glass.
"[Bunting] is a real driver of culture," said Marino-Tauhinu. "[Smith] was also the same but he was more towards the rugby and skills….[Bunting] just brings a different aspect with culture
"I think they're both quite similar in the way that they're trying to draw the best from players and really build on the skill base they already have and just enhance those skills.
Rule co-signs her teammate, adding: "I think having Bunts in the environment last year, he really drove that culture piece. Each year you have a new squad and team, you're always building towards the pinnacle of the World Cup.
"It's exciting to get this new era to build off what we had last year but also to being some new excitement."
The Canadians should provide a much more strength test of their progress under their new coach.
The Canucks qualified for the semi-finals at last year's World Cup in New Zealand, where they were edged by a late try against finalists England. They last played a test match in April, when they crushed North American rivals the US by 50-17.
The team touched down in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, where they expect a hostile greeting on Sunday (NZ time).
"They have a never-say-die attitude and playing Canada in Canada… I'm sure their fans will get right in behind them," said Marino-Tauhinu.
"They are a very athletic bunch so it will be a hard game and I guess they'll be really focused on their set piece because it's quite good.
"It'll be a very hard fought game and it'll be a grind, so we'll see how we go."
Unsurprisingly, the focus at training this week will be honing their combinations offensively, which could spell danger for the women in red.
"We'll probably do a bit more around our attack and around our connections," said Marino-Tauhinu.
"Hoping we can build on what we've already done and get those offloads really going and seeing what we can do through the middle there."
Join us at 11am, Sunday for live updates of Black Ferns v Canada
