John Manenti is confident Australia hasn’t been scarred by a recent run of defeats.
Camera IconJohn Manenti is confident Australia hasn’t been scarred by a recent run of defeats. Credit: Getty Images

Australia’s women’s sevens team not scarred by recent run of defeats to New Zealand

Christy DoranFOX SPORTS

AUSTRALIA’S women’s sevens coach John Manenti says reputations count for nothing ahead of their opening World Cup match against Papua New Guinea in San Francisco on Saturday (4.28am AEST).

Australia enter the tournament as Olympic gold medallists and the newly crowned World Series champions.

But after a heartbreaking extra time loss to New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games final, the Aussies suffered three further defeats to the Black Ferns, including two drubbings to round out the World Series.

Australia’s end of season shortcomings mean New Zealand have grabbed the momentum and enter the World Cup as hot favourites to retain their crown.

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But Manenti — who took over as coach from Tim Walsh after the Commonwealth Games — believed Australia would still have a target on their back.

“Favourites or not favourites, you’ve still got to aim up,” Manenti said.

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“It doesn’t do too much except maybe for your egos.

“We’ve still got to show what we can do and every team always comes after us wherever we are, whatever tournament we’re at, they want to beat us because they know we’re one of the benchmarks.

“We have to know going into this World Cup that there’s a target on us.”

Manenti also dismissed the suggestion that the Olympic champions could be scarred from those four straight defeats.

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New Zealand celebrate after defeating Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Camera IconNew Zealand celebrate after defeating Australia at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Credit: AFP

He added the return from injury of Olympic stalwarts Sharni Williams, Ellia Green and Alicia Quirk would bring some big game experience back into the side.

“No one likes coming second and effectively that’s what we did a couple of times there,” Manenti said.

“But it wasn’t so long ago that we were on the other side of the coin and I’m talking only earlier this season.

“We know we have to be better if we want to beat them (New Zealand).

“They’re incredibly talented, they’re at the top of their game at the moment and quite possibly equally billing with us as favourites for the tournaments.

“We want to have the opportunity to play them again and to do that we’ll have to have three really good performances to get there, and then the assumption that they keep doing the same on their side of the draw.

“To get too focused on what happens, with them and scars with them, would be silly from us because there’s plenty of teams putting their hands up in this tournament to challenge.”

Manenti added the team had worked hard on improving their defence during the five weeks break since securing the World Series in Paris.