Black Fern Marcelle Parkes adjusting to life in the front row

Black Ferns prop Marcelle Parkes leads the Matatu haka. Photo: Photosport

Black Fern Marcelle Parkes is lifting a bit more tin in the gym after making a shift from the loose forwards to the front row.

Parkes has been named to start at prop on Monday afternoon as the Black Ferns kick off their WXV1 campaign against Ireland in Vancouver.

The positional switch began as a joke, but Parkes completed it in less than a year.

She said she was adjusting to life in the front row, and had made subtle changes to her training.

"Definitely the gym, I have to try and keep up with the big, strong girls. So probably just getting pushed more in the gym has been a change."

However, she was being mindful to not let size and strength come at the cost of her speed, she said.

"One thing that the coaches did say was not to change too much. They kind of wanted me to bring my loosie behaviours into the front row so around the field. I still want to be that mobile player, and also the big, strong ball carrier and scrummager."

Parkes said it had been a "crazy" journey over the past 12 months.

"Last year I was playing number eight, and thinking about at the start of Super Rugby, I couldn't even scrum.

"It's been a tough one, going from the back to the front. It's been a lot of hard work behind the scenes and just a lot of grind. So, really happy."

Parkes is just one of several changes that coach Alan Bunting has made ahead of Monday's meeting with the Irish.

Veteran fullback Renee Holmes said it was important that the rookies express themselves.

"It's just about them going out there and playing their game because that's why they're here, that's why they got picked. We are all different. We all bring different strengths to this team. So they need to go out there and showcase what their strengths are."

Holmes said she was preparing for an ariel bombardment from the northern hemisphere sides. The threat of Ireland's kicking game had not been lost on the Kiwis and she was bracing for plenty of bombs.

"We know they love to kick, so it means a lot of ball in hand, a lot of counter attack, which is one of my favourite parts of being a fullback. I'm excited to go up against all these teams, because these are the games where I feel most tested and have to get my positioning right."

Kick off in Vancouver is at 3pm NZT on Monday.