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Tregonning relishing underdog tag as build to opener begins

Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning believes all the pressure will be on the Black Ferns on Saturday, driving competition for spots ahead of Saturday's clash.World Rugby remains confident the clash will sell out, with the trans-Tasman rivalry set the headline the opening day of Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022 due to COVID).It will be the first time the World Cup is held in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Black Ferns one of the key contenders as they look to add their sixth title.With that comes pressure according to Tregonning, who will more than gladly embrace the underdog mentality for a Wallaroos outfit yet to beat their Kiwi counterparts.“I think at the end of the day, the pressure’s on the Black Ferns in their home World Cup," he told Rugby.com.au at the Opening Conference“They’re a formidable opponent but we’re going to embrace the opportunity and the stage that’s set and let the players enjoy the moment.“I think Australians do in all sports relish that underdog tag. We’ll look at how we can build the pressure on the Black Ferns. Our focus is on our game and the things we need to work on.”The Wallaroos have been in New Zealand for the past week, enjoying a physical hit-out against number four ranked France on Saturday.The French are one of the teams to beat after their pair of wins over the Kiwis last year, with the Australians stressing the importance of being more clinical in attack after the scrimmage.“It reinforced working on possession and territory, which has been two major factors that have been against us playing the Black Ferns,” Tregonning believes.“In Adelaide, the score was close and there were times if we held possession better and played in a bit better field possession, we could’ve got the score closer. It’s definitely a focus and we’re looking at ways at getting better.“…We put ourselves under pressure with the set-piece not functioning as we want and giving away penalties so being able to execute under fatigue is going to be really important.”It also continues the constant fight for positions that Tregonning has drilled into his side, fostering a healthy competition across the entire squad.“It’s not, we’re being really competitive at training,” he added when asked if the side for Saturday is settled.“Even against France, we were trying a few new things out and we’ll continue to work hard.“We have our big hit-out on Tuesday and will settle our team from there.” Click Here:

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