Wallaroos great Liz Patu will become the most capped player in the history of Australian women’s rugby when she takes the field against Japan on Tuesday.
It will be the 32-year-old prop’s 25th Test which will surpass the record currently shared by Selena Tranter, Tui Ormsby and Rebecca Clough.
The honour also completes Patu’s rugby redemption after earning back the trust of her team following the infamous 2019 biting incident.
Watch every game of the 2022 Wallaroos season, streaming ad free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport. Sign up for your free seven day trial!
Patu – then the Wallaroos captain – was banned for six weeks for biting Clough in a Super W match.
She considered quitting rugby after the saga before vowing to make amends.
“It was a mistake I made, I owned up to it, it happened,” Patu told rugby.com.au in 2020.
READ MORE: ‘Complete shock’ as former Waratah dies at age 32
READ MORE: Former Wallaby’s beautiful 1000 point moment with son
READ MORE: Brumbies firm as championship contenders in NZ
“It was definitely hard. Mentally I had to get back into it and I wasn’t sure if I was going to… but that was my way of proving that everyone makes mistakes, that happened to me and I wouldn’t be anywhere without rugby.”
Patu started and scored a try in Australia’s season-opening 36-19 win over Fiji in Brisbane on Friday.
But Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning has chosen to swap his entire starting front row against Japan with Madison Schuck, Ashley Marsters and Asoiva Karpani replacing Patu, Adiana Talakai and Bridie O’Gorman.
They are the only three changes to the starting XV as the Wallaroos continue to build towards October’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The team will wear a First Nations jersey for the first time as well as singing Advance Australia Fair in the Yugambeh language.
“There is no doubt that Tuesday’s match holds a particular significance for the playing group,” Tregonning said.
https://twitter.com/StanSportRugby/status/1523482888305618946?s=20&t=lca8uJBuMjizaHfQrbVZ1Q
“Receiving the opportunity to wear the First Nations jersey and sing the local rendition of the national anthem has been a key talking point amongst the group all week, so it is going to be quite emotional.
“We are coming up against a very organised and clinical Japan side. Watching them last Sunday against the Fijiana, there is no doubt we have a big challenge ahead of us come Tuesday.
“While we were impressed by the side’s performance against the Fijiana, we’ve identified our key work-ons and have addressed them during this short turnaround.”
AT A GLANCE
What: Wallaroos vs Japan women’s rugby Test
Where: Bond University, Gold Coast
When: Tuesday 5pm kick-off AEST
How to watch: Live on Stan Sport
WALLAROOS (15-1): Lori Cramer, Mahalia Murphy, Georgina Friedrichs, Pauline Piliae-Rasabele, Ivania Wong, Arabella McKenzie, Iliseva Batibasaga, Grace Hamilton, Shannon Parry (c), Emily Chancellor, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Asoiva Karpani, Ashley Marsters, Madison Schuck
Reserves: Adiana Talakai, Liz Patu, Bridie O’Gorman, Sera Naiqama, Piper Duck, Layne Morgan, Trilleen Pomare, Jemima McCalman