Women’s Rugby World Cup 2022: Wallaroos latest news, teams, scores and analysis

The Wallaroos will have to stop the world’s No. 1 team to keep their World Cup dream alive and have made a huge selection call in an effort to engineer a boilover.

Australia's Lori Cramer makes a pass during the New Zealand 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup Pool match.

The Wallaroos have made a key positional switch ahead of their World Cup quarter-final, bringing young scrumhalf Layne Morgan into the starting side in a bid to cause the upset of the tournament against England.

Unbeaten in 28 internationals since 2019, an England team brimming with full-time professionals is the no. 1 side in the world and tournament favourite.

Australia head into Sunday’s knockout quarter-final as rank underdogs but having made the knockout stage, are unencumbered by pressure and ready to take on the world’s best.

Coach Jay Tregonning has thrown Morgan into the deep end, naming the 23-year-old to start alongside NSW Waratahs teammate Arabella McKenzie against the Red Roses less than six months after making her international debut.

“We think Layne’s been doing a really good job for us coming off the bench,” Tregonning said.

“We know that we need to play a real quick game and we think Layne just has that little bit of extra speed there to get the ball out for us.”

Layne Morgan in action for NSW Waratahs.

Morgan comes into the starting XV in place of fellow Waratahs playmaker Iliseva Batibasaga, although the veteran is still likely to play a key role for the Wallaroos.

Australia needs to use its pace and speed at the breakdown to stay in the contest against the Roses, who will play a typical northern hemisphere style dominated by maul play.

The Wallaroos were outstanding off the mark against the Black Ferns in their tournament opener, sprinting to a 17-0 lead and threatening a massive boilover before Kiwis regained control and ran away with the match.

But if the Aussies can make a strong start, their bench will be pivotal to the eventual outcome, with “finishers” like Batibasaga and the mercurial Mahalia Murphy – who comes into the game day squad for the first time at this World Cup – likely to be key figures.

“We’ve got a lot of a lot of game left within us,” Tregonning said.

“We’ve left lots of points out on the field in the last two games and we know if we’re getting our structures right, we’re going to be in with a real shot.

“There’s confidence within the group. We obviously understand the opponent we’re playing and the formidable task that’s going to be but we’ve got confidence within ourselves that if we get things right we’re going to be more than competitive.”

Wales' Sioned Harries (L) is tackled by Australia's Arabella Mckenzie.

Morgan she was “stoked” to be named in the starting side.

“It means that my players around me and my coaches have a lot of belief in me and I’m keen to rip in out there,” she said.

And she’s keen to make the most of her relationship with fly half McKenzie, as Batibasaga has done.

“We bounce off each other in everything … so no matter if it’s me or ‘Ili’ in that nine jersey or in the 21 (reserve) we know that we’re going to do our best.”

Australia takes on England from 11.30am AEDT on Sunday at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland, with the winner advancing to a semi-final against either Canada or USA.