Black Ferns Chelsea Bremner and Joanah Ngan-Woo alongside assistant coach Whitney Hansen reflect on the lessons learnt after a tough battle with Australia. Video / NZ Herald / Photosport
Wayne Smith continues to look for answers.
Heading into the Black Ferns World Cup campaign, questions remained as to what the team's first-choice XV looked like.
There was plenty to consider. It wasn't just about how players were performing individually, but how the combinations on the pitch worked.
Those questionsremain, and Smith is taking another step towards solving them with a drastically changed squad for Sunday's match against Wales in Waitākere. Only five of last weekend's starting XV have remained in the run-on side, though there have been some positional changes among those five – most notably Ruby Tui moving from the right wing to fullback.
It will be Tui's first start in the 15 jersey for the Black Ferns, and a move many will be monitoring the success of, with fellow superstar wing Ayesha Leti-I'iga nearing a return from injury.
"We're really strong in the outside backs so we're making sure we've got some versatility," Smith said of shifting Tui to fullback.
"We don't know what's going to happen down the track and Ruby shows all the tendencies of being able to play fullback because she's hyperactive, she covers the whole field; she can be a forward and a back at the same time, so we think she's got the characteristics. It gives us extra cover and another option."
Committing herself to the 15-aside game at the start of the year in a bid to earn a place in the World Cup squad, Tui was been a star on the wing for Chiefs Manawa and looked just as comfortable with the step up to test level. Doing everything asked of her so far, the switch to fullback adds another arrow to her quiver with another selection headache looming for Smith.
Tui being successful at fullback would open a pathway for the side to run out a back three of Tui, Leti-I'iga and Portia Woodman further in the competition, which could do a lot of damage with the side's high-tempo style of play.
Ruby Tui will start at fullback for the Black Ferns against Wales on Sunday. Photo / Michael Craig.
The Black Ferns coach said Leti-I'iga (calf) and co-captain Kennedy Simon (leg) "look $1 million" and are tracking ahead of schedule in their recoveries. He is hopeful both will be able to return in some capacity for next weekend's final pool game against Scotland.
Returning this week are prop Tanya Kalounivale and loose forward Alana Bremner in Sunday's test against Wales, with the pair back from the casualty ward and straight into the starting XV.
Kalounivale is part of a changed front row, alongside Awhina Tangen-Wainohu and Georgia Ponsonby at loosehead prop and hooker.
Maiakawanakaulani Roos (lock), Bremner and Kendra Reynolds (loose forwards) also join the pack, while Ariana Bayler starts at halfback. A new midfield combination sees Theresa Fitzpatrick and Sylvia Brunt join forces, with Renee Wickliffe partnering Portia Woodman as the wings.
"I know we've got a really strong squad, it's just about how to work out which 15 is going to work the best together," Smith said.
"It's not necessarily the best players, it's how they operate together. We're still finding that out, but we're getting there.
"We've played most of these combinations through [Pacific] Four scenarios, we've played scenarios against boys teams, men's teams, Pac Four, Laurie O'Reilly [Cup]... most of them have played together and, to be fair, have played well together; it's who's better than the better ones? That's your question. They're all pretty good, so where's the magic? Hopefully, we get to that by quarter-final time."
