KEY POINTS:
If Maria Tutaia is under any pressure to prove her place in the Silver Ferns' starting seven, there are no obvious signs.
With the goal attack position open for tender, Tutaia and Jodi Te Huna are still battling for first choice in this week's build-up to the Ferns' world title defence.
Tutaia, at 20 the younger of the pair by six years, is giving nothing away. In training, her face is as impassive and unreadable as the calm on court that has become her trademark. Off-court, she is warm and self-assured.
"She's a cool cucumber, and I'm never sure if she's excited or nervous," said Silver Ferns captain Adine Wilson.
"She's a superstar, now and definitely for the future. There's a real battle between her and Jodi for the goal attack spot, and the more competition within the team, the better.
"They've both been looking sharp in the build-up; they've both had personal bests in their fitness tests. It's great to know we've got really strong goal attacks - two people you can really trust to pass the ball to."
Since her debut in 2005, Tutaia has played 18 tests for the Ferns, but her effortless shots and fluid movement have installed her as a crowd favourite.
In the last series against Australia, Te Huna's strong-on-the-ball, consistent game won her the starting spot ahead of Tutaia, but the young West Auckland shooter has put in a concerted effort in the Ferns' 10 weeks of training camps.
"Maria's played in some really pressure-situation games, but she always looks calm," Wilson said.
"She's not afraid to shoot the ball, and that gives you the confidence to pass it to her. It's a great lift for the rest of the team to see her long shots swish through the net."
Tutaia admitted yesterday she was feeling anxious three days away from the opening game against Malawi, and made no secret of the fact that she's tired of training. "I just want to get out and play - to just experience and enjoy the game and the atmosphere.
"We all knew it was going to be a lot of hard yakka to get here, and everyone has made sacrifices to be here. But the camps have been really important," she said.
"The improvements we've made from that first camp in August till now have been huge. We have our combinations sussed, and we acted out a lot of 'what if?' scenarios.
"I've still got things to improve on, but I've made a lot of ground with my finishing touches."
The Silver Ferns' theme in this campaign is "Tour de Worlds", stemming from the team's bonding session cycling the Otago Rail Trail. In the past few days, they have been revealing the sacrifices they have made.
Tutaia's sacrifice has been spending less time with her large Samoan family, who live together in Avondale.
"Family is extremely important to me, and I've missed seeing my new niece, Kristiana, who's four months old. When I leave to go on camp, she cries," Tutaia said.
"The gym has been my life, and it's been hard."