Black Ferns show promising signs in Australian demolition

By Christopher Reive

With the World Cup fast approaching, the Black Ferns are trending in the right direction.

In their penultimate test before the beginning of the tournament in October, the Black Ferns were far too strong for their Australian counterparts, scoring 50 points for the second straight test in their 52-5 win in Christchurch.

At the end of 2021, things were looking dire for the New Zealand side. Just a year before the World Cup, they went without a win on their northern tour – well beaten in all four tests. It might still be hard to gauge how they stack up against the likes of England and France heading into the World Cup, but what is certain is they will go into the World Cup much improved and equipped with a high-volume, attack from anywhere style of attack.

They flaunted that against Australia from the opening whistle, trying to spread the ball to the wing immediately. While that particular passage ended in a knock on, their intentions were clear.

The execution wasn't always tidy when the Black Ferns looked to spread the ball. At times, they lacked depth and timing on their runs which saw some forward passes float into their play, but for the most part they were firing.

In the playmaking roles, Ruahei Demant and Kendra Cocksedge pulled the strings well, while wingers Ruby Tui and Ayeshan Leti-I'iga showed they could threaten any time they had the ball in their hands. Tui also showed her willingness to put boot to ball and back her speed down the edges, giving the defence that extra thing to think about when trying to slow the Black Ferns attack down.

For the most part, the Australians couldn't slow them down. With the pack taking strong carries into the defensive line – Joanah Ngan-Woo and Kennedy Simon with some standout charges - and providing quick ruck ball, the Black Ferns were able to launch attack after attack. At the set piece, it was hard to fault the New Zealand side. Hooker Georgia Ponsonby was particularly impressive throughout the contest, with her lineout throwing on target and she worked hard to get over the ball at the breakdown, earning turnovers and pressuring the Australians.

It took time before the Black Ferns cracked through the Australian defences. After threatening early but being unable to execute, a penalty allowed them to secure good field position before setting themselves up through a strong carry from Simon in the middle of the park. With Australia scrambling in defence, Cocksedge summed up the situation well, putting Demant through a gap as a defender tried to jam in on Cocksedge.

While it took 14 minutes for the Australian line to break, the cracks were showing and the Black Ferns ran in another three tries before the half was through to lead 26-0 at the break.

Again, it took the New Zealand side a moment or two to settle into their work when play got back underway, but when Leti-I'iga and Demant crossed in the 45th and 49th minutes, the result was all but assured.

While the Black Ferns ran in another two tries to take their score beyond 50, the Australians never stopped trying and had some success as the game went on. However, it wasn't until the final play of the game that the visitors were able to get on the board, with Piper Duck scoring in the corner.

The sides will meet in the second test of the O'Reilly Cup series in Adelaide next weekend.

Black Ferns 52 (Ruahei Demant 2, Ayesha Leti-I'iga 2, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Amy du Plessis, Kendra Cocksedge, Luka Connor tries; Cocksedge 3 cons, Renee Holmes 3 cons)
Australia 5 (Piper Duck try)
HT: 26-0