Now, in her first series as coach of the Silver Ferns, Taumaunu is looking to repeat the history-making efforts of the 1981 team by guiding the team to just its second series win across the Tasman tomorrow.
The Silver Ferns will do battle with Australia for the final time this year in tomorrow's Constellation Cup decider in Melbourne.
After world championship heartbreak in July, stealing the Constellation Cup away from Australia would help the Ferns wrap up 2011 on a more positive note. And given New Zealand has not won a series in Australia since the days of pleated skirts and tie-up bibs, a win would be all the more special for the players.
Taumaunu was 19 when she helped the Ferns pull off what up until that point many had believed to be impossible. At the time she realised it was a momentous occasion, but with every passing year that no other team has cracked it, the enormity of the achievement has grown.
Thirty years is an awful long time between drinks and Taumaunu said the team did not want to let the opportunity to score a rare series win on Aussie turf pass it by.
"We've talked about the history of it, we've talked about the fact that this is tough and not many New Zealand teams have done this, but they're up for the challenge of putting themselves on the line," she said.
Just like the 1981 team, this group also includes a 19-year-old rookie defender on her first tour to Australia, who will be relied upon to provide some magic off the bench.
Kayla Cullen, who only won her place in the side after injury ruled out experienced defenders Casey Williams and Katrina Grant, has impressed in her brief forays in the first two tests in Perth and Adelaide.
Taumaunu believes the young Mystics defender will grow from her early exposure to the test environment.
"Considering they're tests against Australia, I think she is really fortunate to be in the position where she has been able to come in, do her job and go off again without too much stress because of the calibre of players she has around her," she said.
"I remember I was in a similar position in 1981 when I started. I had a great group of people around me so my view of Australia was never that they were unbeatable. It was always that it was hard, but achievable and I hope that is the mental attitude that we're going to set [Cullen] up with going forward."
It could be the naivety of youth, or it could be her naturally laid-back demeanour but Cullen appears oblivious to pressure mounting on the Ferns.
"It's a pretty big game, but it should be heaps of fun actually. I'm just really excited and hopefully I'll get the opportunity to get out on court again," said Cullen.
With another newcomer to the team, Cathrine Latu, anchoring the shooting end in Wednesday night's seven-goal loss to Australia, many, including Australian coach Lisa Alexander, are tipping Irene van Dyk will return to the starting line-up for tomorrow's clash.
But from Taumaunu's perspective the decision is not so straightforward.
"I think the one thing we've got now is two shooters who have performed creditably against Australia so I feel confident that I actually have a real choice, whereas before Cathrine played the whole game I didn't know what I was getting."
Given Australia has stormed home over the second half in both tests this week, Taumaunu may look at starting with Latu and injecting van Dyk at halftime to close out the game.
