Rugby: Coach Wayne Smith facing sleepless nights before Black Ferns World Cup squad selection

Wayne Smith has a few tough calls to make before the World Cup. Photo / photosport.nz

If Wayne Smith is suffering from sleepless nights ahead of his World Cup squad selection, a few Black Ferns on the fringes must be nearing insomnia.

Smith will oversee his side's last outing on Saturday before he finalises his big decision, with the Black Ferns looking to back up their thumping of Australia in the Adelaide rematch.

The coach has been to the city once before, when playing his second game for the All Blacks in 1980. And he knows he will soon be making some "tough phone calls" to deny unlucky players the chance to make similar memories at this year's home World Cup.

But before then, those players have one more opportunity to raise their hands even higher for selection, which is why Smith made eight changes to his starting XV for the second O'Reilly Cup fixture against the Wallaroos.

"It's certainly one of the last [chances]. We've got another short camp coming up and we don't name the World Cup squad till after that camp," Smith said.

"I'm anxious that you can only pick 32 players for the World Cup, and we've had a lot of players come through who have been outstanding and who aren't even here now. So there's some tough decisions to be made and some tough phone calls to be made.

"We've got enough information now, probably, to make them. I think we're on target, but obviously it's not easy. It's stopping me sleeping at night."

Smith stressed he would be leaning on his coaching team when making those calls, given he came into the environment only four months ago. And the Ferns' performance against Australia won't be the only action considered, with players contesting the final stages of the Farah Palmer Cup still squarely in the frame.

"You're always looking for players to shine in the finals, because that's when the pressure comes on," Smith said. "So we'll be looking really closely at FPC and looking for those women who can really put their best foot forward under the pressure of the finals."

The coach will be looking closely at two players in particular in Adelaide, handing debuts to prop Santo Taumata and outside back Grace Steinmetz. Their inclusion means Smith will cap 15 new players this season, a sign of the Black Ferns' emerging depth given the quality of Steinmetz in particular.

"I was surprised that she didn't have a cap," Smith said of the Canterbury standout. "She's a player that's pretty electric - got electric feet, she really lights the turbos through contact, she's hard to handle. She's also really good defensively in that wide channel, so I think she's the type of player who can adapt quickly between wing and fullback.

"We've got a lot of good players in the country and a lot of them have already played for us. But crunch time's coming up. I'm confident this team will go well and then it's a matter of individuals within it really showing up and really putting their names forward for that final selection."

Black Ferns team to play Australia in Adelaide on Saturday:

Grace Steinmetz, Ruby Tui, Sylvia Brunt, Chelsea Semple, Ayesha Leti-I'iga, Ruahei Demant (cc), Ariana Bayler; Kennedy Simon (cc), Kendra Reynolds, Alana Bremner, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Amy Rule, Luka Connor, Pip Love.

Reserves: Natalie Delamare, Krystal Murray, Santo Taumata, Chelsea Bremner, Charmaine McMenamin, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Renee Holmes, Hazel Tubic.