Panuara-born Wallaroos skipper Grace Hamilton produced a typically barnstorming performance from No.8 at Perth's Optus Stadium on Saturday afternoon but her Australian side was outclassed in a 47-10 defeat at New Zealand's hands.
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She finished with 15 carries - twice as many as her opposite number Charmaine McMenamin - and while she said her side had never been better prepared to score their maiden win over the Black Ferns, Hamilton admitted her Aussies let themselves down.
The Wallaroos' ball security was poor and their set-piece wobbly in the eight-tries-to-two hammering, after admitting how much the loss hurt Hamilton vowed her troops will improve in next weekend's return clash at Eden Park.
We need to improve but we have it in us and I know we can be better than that.
- Wallaroos skipper Grace Hamilton
"It's disappointing but for us I think the biggest thing is we learn from this and we fire into next week," Hamilton said.
"We didn't value the ball enough when we had it and we turned it over easily. We need to value that ball because that is the way we get momentum.
"We need to improve but we have it in us and I know we can be better than that."
Head coach Dwayne Nestor wasn't quite as diplomatic, saying his troops allowed themselves to be "bullied" by the world No.1 Kiwis, who's undefeated run against the Wallaroos is now at 18 games and stretches back to 1994's inaugural Test.
"We have to get over the fact we haven't beaten them," Nestor fired.
"I think the girls are allowed to do certain things in club rugby which they get away with but then when you go and play a team like the Black Ferns, you don't get away with those things.
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"It's almost as if they sit back and let it happen and I think it's a mindset we need to help create."
Australia's hopes were high after dominating their two-Test, lead-up series against Japan, but New Zealand's class shone through from go to woah.
McMenamin scored her first through a driving maul in just the ninth minute and finished off a brilliant counterattacking try in the 33rd as well, with Renee Wickliffe scoring for the Black Ferns in between as well.
Ruahei Demant scored two out from the break and Kendra Cocksedge's first conversion extended New Zealand's lead to 22 going into the second period, which was somewhat brighter for the Australians.
Lori Cramer scored her first five minutes into the new half to give the Wallaroos a glimmer of hope but the Black Ferns snuffed that out pretty quickly, even though Cramer did score again at the 64-minute mark.
Selicia Winiata, Les Elder, Ayesha Leti-l'iga and Joanah Ngan-Woo all scored in the second half and Cocksedge nailed a penalty too.
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