Australia's bid to avenge last year's Pacific Championships heartbreak has received a blow as starting hooker Quincy Dodd prepares to miss the rematch with New Zealand.
Dodd suffered a minor quadriceps injury in last Friday's 84-0 mauling of Papua New Guinea and has been replaced by Olivia Higgins in the starting side for Sunday's match in Christchurch.
Gold Coast forward Jessika Elliston slots into Higgins' spot on the bench, with Jess Sergis dropping to 18th player to accommodate Ali Brigginshaw's return from her finger injury.
AAP understands Dodd is pushing to play in the Jillaroos' final game of the Pacific Championships at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on November 10.
Jillaroos coach Brad Donald has called Sydney Roosters premiership-winner Keeley Davis into his squad to cover for both Dodd and injured utility Lauren Brown.
Davis has been named on the extended bench for the clash with the Kiwi Ferns.
Brown injured her left hamstring playing for Australia in this month's Prime Ministers' XIII match, and despite remaining in camp the Gold Coast star now appears unlikely to feature again this Test series.
Coming off a superb year with runners-up Cronulla, Dodd's absence could hurt a Jillaroos side that suffered a shock 12-6 loss in their last meeting with the Kiwi Ferns.
Before the boilover in Melbourne, New Zealand had last defeated Australia in 2016.
"It was a really hard game," Jillaroos centre Isabelle Kelly told AAP of the defeat.
"I don't think we played like we normally do as the Jillaroos. We've learned a lot from that game, a lot of lessons have come from it."
Elsewhere, Brisbane five-eighth Gayle Broughton will make her Test debut for the Kiwi Ferns partnering Tyla King in the halves against Australia, with St George Illawarra teenager Alexis Tauaneai also representing New Zealand for the first time.
Georgia Hale assumes sole captaincy in the absence of former Dally M Medallist Raecene McGregor, missing the series through family commitments.
