The Wallaroos are expecting a desperate USA to step up this weekend when the teams face off in York, with Jo Yapp making minimal change to the side that beat Samoa 73-0 last week.
The coming match will also be a special one for lock Michaela Leonard, as she becomes the third Wallaroo to play 40 Tests for her country - after Ashley Marsters and Trilleen Pomare hit the same milestone earlier this year.
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“I'd never thought that I would have been doing it 40 times,” Leonard told reporters in York.
“I never would have guessed that. It's a huge honour.
“I'm really grateful for all the coaches, everyone back in clubland, all my family, friends that have got me here and everyone in this group that's become family over the last six years.
“I guess hopefully age is just a number and I can keep ticking along and maybe hit that 50 one day.”
Despite the milestone, Leonard will be more focused on knocking down a determined Eagles side that will be bouncing back from a 69-7 loss to England.
A Wallaroos win would all but guarantee a quarter finals berth, however, a loss would leave Australia a mountain to climb in besting tournament favourites England next week.
“It's a big one,” Leonard said.
“I think it's one that's kind of been unsaid and not needed to be said. I think all of the girls know how important it is, but I think Chance [Emily Chancellor] reiterated it really well before training today. She made that point of it is do or die.
“It's a must-win, it's really important for us coming into the tail end of our four rounds.
“At the same breath she said, it doesn't put any pressure on, we just need to go out there, do our job as individuals to the best that we can and the rest will follow.”
After going down 32-25 to the USA in Melbourne in 2024, Jo Yapp’s side got their revenge earlier this year in Canberra, winning 27-19.
Leonard credited their improvement on more time spent together and believes her squad is in a good position, treating the match like an early knockout fixture.
“We've been really fortunate over the last 24 months to have numerous camps, multiple games, playing at a high standard,” Leonard explained.
“You get those combinations, you build a really healthy competition. With extra time together, the culture in the group has grown really well.
“The vibe in the group is really positive. I think last week was huge for us, not just in the score line, but this year we’ve struggled a little bit with an 80-minute performance.
“I think going out there last week, first game of the World Cup, for us to go out and play for the full 80, keeping them scoreless was a big shift for us.
“[The] energy's been pretty good, the girls have all been really focused.”
It is the elephant in the room, but the Wallaroos will also go up against Ilona Maher, the superstar brought many new eyeballs to rugby since her breakout at the Paris 2024 Olympics - defeating Australia to win the bronze medal.
For Leonard, it feels like a ‘full circle’ to go up against Maher, but it also looms as an opportunity for the Wallaroos to show what they can do in front of a larger audience.
“I think most of the girls at the moment are probably focusing on doing their part for the team and going out there and putting on a good performance,” Leonard added.
“I think it's a real positive [what Maher has brought to rugby]...But there's that element of hang on a second, look what we've got as well. Let's shine the light on that for a moment.
“I don't think there's too many out there [in the Wallaroos] chasing that little bit more spotlight, [we’re] hopefully coming away with a win on the weekend.
“If something like that was to happen, it'd just be an added bonus.”
