Joyce, who will earn her 30th cap, says: “We are going into the Australia game wanting to win it and knowing we can win it; it is just about making sure everything comes together.
“If we win, we don’t have to wait on other results and wait on ‘uncontrollables’ as to whether we go though or not.”
One thing for certain is that Wales – who will feature Niamh Terry and Carys Williams-Morris in their line-up for the first time as two of four changes – will not want for support, either back in Wales or in New Zealand.
Joyce, who has appeared before huge crowds around the world on the Sevens circuit including at two Olympic Games, is looking forward to a big crowd in Whangerei: “The support has been massive this time around.
“We know we are going to get a lot of support from home amongst a big local crowd here. I can’t believe how many parents and families have come out here to support us.
“We went out to play New Zealand on Sunday and it felt we were in Cardiff Arms Park. There were so many Welsh flags and Welsh jerseys everywhere. We can feel it out here, but also on social media, you can really feel the support out there when you are playing.
“It has always been our goal to get to the quarter-finals, since January. To get a win over the Australians and put us into the knockout stages would be brilliant. It would really prove to us and everyone back at home, just how far we have come.”
That journey has been made more achievable thanks to those professional contracts, with Joyce one of the 12 pioneers.
“It has been brilliant. It is the first World Cup that any Welsh player has been to, where rugby is their full-time job. You don’t have to worry about what’s going on back at home, or what you are going to do when you get back.
“It has had a huge impact on how we are playing. We have come into the World Cup with a much better skillset, and our fitness is brilliant.
“We haven’t had the contracts long, but you can already see individually how much everyone is improving and competing to be in that starting 15.
“We are looking forward to facing Australia. We are hoping everything clicks into place now and we can put on a performance that we know we are capable of.
“We know it is now or never, it has all come down to this match.”
S4C – Saturday, 5.00pm: Cwpan Rygbi’r Byd 2021
Wales v Australia
The whole match, played earlier in the morning, repeated, plus reaction and analysis.
