Tears fell as schoolgirl Caitlyn Halse saw her name in the Wallaroos line-up at their team meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Unaware she'd been selected to make her debut against the United States due to a broken phone, the 17-year-old was first surprised and then overwhelmed as her name appeared on big screen. Quickly several squad members were surrounding her with Waratahs teammates Piper Duck and Maya Stewart shedding tears of their own in celebration.
Bursting onto the scene early last year when she became the youngest player to make their Super Rugby Women's debut at just 16, Halse got a small taste of international rugby when she joined Wallaroos camp last year. And now, just a year later, she'll be making history again as the youngest Wallaroo or Wallaby when she pulls on the gold jersey for the first time.
"I don't know, I think it was just an overwhelming feeling," Halse said when asked her feelings about getting called up to make her debut. "Obviously getting to play for your country's a massive thing in any sport but, yeah, it was obviously a big dream of mine since I was a little kid.
"My phone was actually broken the day we were meant to get calls around selection, so I didn't know if I was playing or not, and it wasn't until we were in the team meeting with the announcement when my name came up on the screen and yeah, just went straight into tears.
"All the girls got around me and some of the other girls cried as well, which is really cute. But yeah, they were really good."
Clearly feeling shy facing one of her first press conferences, the year 12 student gave quick, short answers as she was asked about balancing her schoolwork - "when we're not training, I'm always doing some sort of study to keep up" -- her parents -- "[they're] obviously over the moon" -- and what her school friends think of her playing for Australia -- "they don't really understand what rugby is" - but there was still plenty of excitement ahead of her debut.
"It's a surreal feeling getting to represent my country. But yeah, being one of the youngest to do it is obviously a great feeling.
"I'm preparing for it like I would any other game. Obviously, I've worked really hard over the past two years and obviously the coaching staff seem to back me, so just sticking to my game and playing how I would normally.
"I'll bring my kicking game to the game and then just using my game knowledge and using my vision and to look up and see where there's space and hopefully exploit it."
A rising star in Super W last year, Halse took her game to another level in 2024, stealing headlines as she showed maturity beyond her years and demonstrated a solid kicking game as well as impeccable game knowledge in the Waratahs road to a championship.
While the pressure is on the Wallaroos to perform on Friday night given it's a must-win match to qualify for the WXV1 series, coach Jo Yapp admitted the USA game was always on the radar as the best time to give Halse her debut.
"She's a player that's performed week in, week out at Super W," Yapp said about Halse's selection. "We've seen that she's got such a good attacking game and last week she experienced the match day with us, and she managed all that really well.
"Going into this game the attacking threat that she gives us and the kind of extra kicking game she gives us has given her opportunity to start.
"We went with a little bit more experience against Canada. People like Lori [Cramer], we wanted that experience on the field, and it was always in the back of our mind that this could be an opportunity for Caitlyn to get a start against the USA, providing she got that opportunity to experience a match day and to be in camp with us a little bit more.
"She's just managed it all so well and she's been stand out in Super W so it's always been in the back of our minds to look at her and give her an opportunity here.
"The USA is a very different game for us than what the Canada game was. The changes we've made have reflected that. Yes, Caitlyn does give us a little bit more length on her kicking game, but also the way we want to attack is something that we see Caitlyn being able to bring to the game."