The year was 1997 and the Black Ferns thumped the Wallaroos 44-0 at a sunny Carisbrook.
The playing group have a deep connection to those who have come before and hope to follow in their footsteps when they face Wales at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday.
Kelly, 23, who spent three seasons with the Otago Spirit, is excited about the prospect of playing in front of her former home crowd.
"It’s really cool," Kelly said.
"Getting off the plane and seeing all the Otago union people greeting us, it definitely feels like home for me."
It has been a breakout year for the first five. She starred for Matatu in Super Rugby Aupiki and made her Black Ferns debut against the Wallaroos in June.
Being part of the inaugural WXV 1 competition was special, as the series featuring nine games across three weekends, aimed to expand the women’s game.
"I think it’s super exciting.
"Usually we don’t get to play the northern hemisphere teams; maybe like once in a World Cup cycle and then at the World Cup.
"So to be able to test ourselves against other top teams is really awesome to have that consistent rugby at that level."
There were comments around the lack of crowd at the opening round in Wellington last weekend, and Kelly hoped to see a bigger crowd in Dunedin.
Either way, she knew the noise would bounce off the roof and more people would enjoy their brand of rugby.
"Just more of the love for the women’s game.
"They’ll just get to see how exciting women’s rugby is and watching it live is so much better.
"It’ll be surprising how loud the crowd is.
"I’m excited to see Otago and Southland, and pretty much the whole of the South Island."
The Black Ferns are looking to bounce back, after a disappointing 18-17 loss to France snapping a 16-game winning streak, in the opening round in Wellington.
Their error rate was high, coughing up unnecessary ball.
Playing under the roof meant there would be no excuses against Wales.
Wales fought hard but eventually fell 42-22 against Canada in their opener.
The Black Ferns have won all six tests encounters between the two teams and will be wanting to keep that record in tact.
Assistant coach Steve Jackson expects Wales to bring plenty of line speed, a strong kicking game and knows they are strong around the breakdown.
The Black Ferns trained well yesterday morning, responding strongly from their loss, and were preparing for a good contest.
"We’re under no illusions that Wales is going to be a tough side for us to play this weekend," Jackson said.
"They’ve got nothing to lose.
"We’ve got to be on our game to make sure that we get in there. For us, it’s going to be trying to hold on to the ball for multiple phases."
Asked how he felt about playing the same weekend as the All Blacks in the World Cup final, Jackson said: "It’s great, isn’t it? It’s outstanding.
"We’ll be watching it in the dining hall and cheering them on from afar.
"I hope they do well, but I hope we put on a good show in our game, which will continue on until the All Blacks game."
