When Lori Cramer made her Test debut against Japan on Saturday, she was attempting to disrupt the very players that had helped her win a coveted gold jersey.
Cramer has been a standout for Queensland in the opening two seasons of the Super W competition where she is a strike weapon in the no.15 jersey.
But the impetus to make the next step in her career came in Japan, where Cramer has played sevens for the past three years.
After missing a place in an Aon Uni 7s team for the opening season of the domestic competition, Cramer headed to Japan to hone her skills after being impressed by the courage and will of the Japanese players.
Watching the Wallaroos' 2017 World Cup clash against Japan, Cramer was mesmerised by the will of the Japanese underdogs.
"I remember watching it on the couch and going, 'man, these Japanese girls are so ballsy and hardy', Cramer said.
"They scored after about 24 phases of picking and going and they were going a millimetre at a time towards the tryline.
"I remember going: 'Holy Dooley, what are these chicks made of?'. They're really brave and really courageous and I just wanted to be a part of that."
With a bit of pidgin Japanese in her keeping after another stint in the country directly after the Super W season finished, Cramer recently rewatched that World Cup match with the volume turned up and realised the Japanese players were yelling: 'We can do it', with every phase before they eventually crossed for a try.
Cramer, who came off the bench in the second half to make her Test debut in Newcastle on Saturday, faced many of her Mie Pearls teammates and others whose game she was familiar with, when she ran on.
And while she plays sevens in Japan, she has no doubt the competition has helped her XVs form and has been a major part of helping her make her Wallaroos debut.
"Every time I come back here, everyone says that my footy's got a lot better," Cramer said.
"The reason I went over there was I didn't make the Aon squad and now I've made it the last two years in a row.
"So I'm so loyal to the Japanese club over there because it's just given me (a lot) and it's such a family over there. I really have a high respect for my team and my family over there."
Cramer's Super W form alone would have been enough to earn a spot in the Wallaroos squad but she was taking nothing for granted.
"I've had some 9selection) doozies in the past, so I try and be realistic about things," she said.
"Obviously I want to be the best that I can and I want to do all these great things but I stay small with (expectations).
"My goal was to get to camp and after (the last) camp I set a new set of goals and if that meant that I was good enough to get on the bench or take a place on the pitch, (that's great).
"I didn't want to be like, 'I want to play for Australia' because if I didn't, then I'd think that I was a failure.
"I wanted to get my kicks right and my return runs right and I want to make my tackles good and I want to be really dynamic when I play.
"If that means that I'm good enough to play for Australia, then awesome."
With family flying down from Brisbane and friends driving down to Newcastle to watch her play, Cramer's debut was a memorable one.
"It meant absolutely everything (to have them there)," she said.
"That fact that (was) making my debut is just wild, let alone in front of my friends and family on home turf against Japan as well. It's quite special for me."
But Cramer expects nothing going forward.
The Wallaroos have three more Tests this season, against Japan again at North Sydney Oval on Friday night, before two matches against New Zealand next month.
"I'm not thinking about that at all," she said.
"Just because I'm here doesn't mean I'm expecting to get taken to the next one because I know that a few girls are injured that had a ripper Super W, so I'm not being complacent or expecting just to walk into the squad again just because I'm here now.
"That's the exciting thing about female rugby union in Australia right now is that we've got such depth and everyone's really having to fight for spots."
The Wallaroos take on Japan in the second match of the series at North Sydney Oval on Friday, July 19, kicking off at 7pm AEST and broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports, Kayo and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO. Buy tickets here.
