Midfielder can show Herbert what he missed
Whether Krysten Cottrell is playing for her Taradale club team at the Hawke’s Bay Sevens in Waipukurau or pulling on the Black Ferns rugby jersey, the excitement level is the same . . . high.
Since she started playing the game at Taradale High School, there has always been excitement and a huge smile when Cottrell is on the field. It doesn’t matter whether she is weaving through the opposing side’s defence or attempting to tackle a player almost twice her size, nothing changes.
“I’m pretty excited . . . it’s awesome to be named in the 10 jersey. I’m soaking it all up and it is a different feeling from being a sub,” Cottrell said from the Black Ferns’ Toulon base yesterday.
After three games as a substitute for the world champions, Cottrell, 26, will be the starting first five-eighth when they take on Six Nations champions France at Stade Felix, Mayol this morning (9am NZT). Aucklander Ruahei Demant, the starting pivot in the last three tests, two wins against Australia in August and the win against the United States in Chicago last week, has been shifted to second five-eighth.
“It’s good to have another ball player outside me and someone who knows how I play,” Cottrell said.
Both players love running the ball but, at the same time, they know when and how to kick in Wind the clock back a few years and Hawke’s Bay United footballer Cory Chettleburgh was knocking on the door of a professional contract with the Wellington Phoenix.
It was 2010 and the then 18-yearold Manawatu midfielder was in a two-way battle for the final spot on the Phoenix roster. But the Phoenix coach at the time, Ricki Herbert, chose Australian striker Mirjan Pavlovic instead.
Tomorrow Chettleburgh wil have another opportunity to show former All Whites mentor Herbert what he missed out on when Thirsty Whale Hawke’s Bay United host Herbert’s Hamilton Wanderers in a fourth-round ISPS Handa Premiership match at Napier’s Bluewater Stadium.
“It was a little bit of a blessing in disguise. Because I missed out on the Phoenix, I got to spend three years in Holland,” Chettleburgh said after a gym session yesterday.
He was referring to his brief spells in the Netherlands playing for Sparta Rotterdam and WHC Wezep.
“Ricki had his reasons for not picking me. He went on to achieve some good things as a coach. Hopefully he doesn’t achieve too much this weekend and I can help the Bay be on the right side of things,” third-season Hawke’s Bay United player Chettleburgh said.
Hawke’s Bay United coach Brett Angell said yesterday he would wait until after last night’s training before deciding on Chettleburgh’s role for tomorrow’s game.
“He brings us flexibility. While Cory operates well in the midfield, he also combined well with Sam [Mason-Smith] up front last weekend. I need as long as possible to decide where he will start.”
Chettleburgh, who played his winter football for Wairarapa general play. There will be times when they will have to kick the Black Ferns out of trouble against a team which kicks regularly.
“France kick quite a lot so it’s important we can kick into space too,” Cottrell said.
The Hawke’s Bay union’s women’s development officer who had five seasons playing for Manawatu and helped them win four national sevens titles before again linking up with the Hawke’s Bay Tui side last season, Cottrell agreed the French outfit is unorthodox and has the potential to be just as unpredictable as French men’s teams have been against the All Blacks over the years.
“We just have to be ready for whatever tricks they give us. We have to put more pressure on and hold on to the ball as much as possible. They have not had a lot of pressure put on them during the Six Nations,” Cottrell added.
Cottrell’s former sprint coach Mick Cull, one of the Bay’s most successful athletics coaches before his recent retirement, remembers the summers he spent with Cottrell during her secondary school days.
“Duffy [Cottrell’s nickname] was good friends with Laura Nagel, who I coached back then. In those days her skills levels were high but United, said he enjoyed linking up with Mason-Smith up front against Auckland City and he would be confident in either position.
Like most ardent followers of the league, Chettleburgh is full of admiration for the Wanderers’ front three of Tommy Semmy, Derek Tieku and Napier City Rovers player Martin Bueno.
“They have a lot of firepower and a lot of pace. We’ll have a tough job to keep them under control but we have the players to look after them.”
Well known for his discipline lapses in the past including verbal abuse of match officials, Chettleburgh has come a long way since then and Angell believed his maturity levels have grown as the responsibilities to his wife and two children aged 8 and 1 months have increased.
“It’s not just about being a dad. But I have become a more mature person and can keep my head on,” Chettleburgh said.
He is confident there is enough talent in this summer’s United squad to push for a top four spot, and then the top spot to qualify for the O League.
“While we’ve had a tough start to the league, we are taking some really good steps forward. We were unlucky against Canterbury [drew 2-all] but played well [lost 2-1] against Auckland City last weekend. Of all the times I’ve played against them, this was the time we caused Auckland City the most problems and there were occasions when we took the control off them.
“If we can carry this form on, we will have some success, not only this weekend but in games to come,” Chettleburgh added.
Angell was also going to wait until after last night’s session before making a decision on the availability of centre forward Jordan Lamb. He collected an injury at training earlier this week but trained on Thursday night so Angell wanted to give him more time to stake a claim for a spot on tomorrow’s roster.
Coach Angell has plenty of respect for the Wanderers and so he should. They are not fourth on the points table, four spots above Hawke’s Bay United, for nothing.
“Hamilton started the league well. If we don’t approach the game
Teams for the 2pm clash: Hawke’s Bay United:
1. McKenzie Waite (GK), 2. Anders Eriksson, 4. Cameron Lindsay, 5. Joseph Zupo, 6. Daniel Allan, 7. Cory Chettleburgh, 9. Sam Mason-Smith, 17. Jordan Lamb, 22. Karan Mandair, 23. Jorge Akers, 26. Alexander Britton (GK), 3. Liam Schofield, 8. Paul Ifill, 10. Sho Goto, 21. Bjorn Christensen.
Brett Angell.
Coach: Hamilton Wanderers:
1. Matt Oliver (GK), 2. James Hoyle, 3. Joe Nottage, 5. Stafford Dowling, 6. Agustin Contratti, 8. Brad Whitworth, 9. Martin Bueno, 10. Rhys Ruka, 11. Jordan Shaw, 13. Tommy Semmy, 14. Paul Clout, 15. Joseph Terry, 18. Steffano Riley, 20. Derek Tieku, 21. Will Stephen, 23. Jonathan Mannes (GK)
Coach:
Ricki Herbert. right, they are going to be difficult. We played them pre-season and we know about their attacking threat, particularly during transition,” Angell said.
“If we can produce the level of last weekend and the weekend before there’s a feeling we’ve got more than enough to threaten them and put some issues to rest,” he said referring to his troops’ winless run.
He agreed the Wanderers pair of defender James Hoyle, who played for Hawke’s Bay United for the last two seasons, and Napier City Rovers teammate Bueno will be determined to show off their capabilities for the visitors on a ground familiar to them.
“We will have to monitor that.” Like Chettleburgh, Angell knows how lethal the Wanderers front three can be. “It’s important we shut down their time and space,” Angell added. her fitness levels were really low. She didn’t want it enough.
“Since then I have seen her grow as a person. Her enthusiasm and professionalism levels have grown. She wants it so much and is such a modest girl. This selection is so well deserved,” Cull added.
Fresh from a brilliant Women’s Six Nations in which they clinched the title ahead of England, Les Bleues will look to kick on against the Black Ferns.
Today’s match will be the first of two tests between the two sides — the second is in Grenoble next Saturday — and as expected France coach Annick Hayraud has the majority of his squad used in the Six Nations campaign available again. Blindside flanker Gaelle Hermet will captain the hosts. It will be the first time the two teams have met since the 2010 World Cup when the Black Ferns won 45-7.
“We must not change our game because we are facing the world champions. We have belief in the project we are trying to put together and we have to keep working in that direction.
“We have looked at their game and seen their strengths and their weaknesses. But the most important thing is the desire to
Both teams
Teams for the test which kicks off at 9am (NZT):
France:
15. Montserrat Amedee (Montpellier RC), 14. Cyrielle Banet (Montpellier RC), 13. Nassira Konde (AC Bobigny 93), 12. Carla Neisen (Blagnac Rugby Fe´minin), 11. Caroline Boujard (Montpellier RC), 10. Caroline Drouin (Stade Rennais), 9. Pauline Bourdon (AS Bayonnaise), 1. Anaelle Deshaye (AS Rouen Universite Club), 2. Caroline Thomas (ASM Romagnat Rugby Feminin), 3. Julie Duval (L’Ovalie Caennaise), 4. Lenaı¨g Corson (Stade Francais Paris), 5. Safi N’Diaye (Montpellier RC), 6. Gaelle Hermet (Stade Toulousain Rugby, captain), 7. Julie Annery (AC Bobigny 93), 8. Romane Menager (Montpellier RC)
16. Laure Touye (Blagnac Rugby Feminin), 17. Lise Arricastre (Lons Rugby Feminin Bearn Pyrenees), 18. Chloe Pelle
Replacements:
continue with our game plan based on speed and variety,” Hayraud said.
“Make no mistake the French will be a real threat. Last year they had the potential to be in the final of the World Cup,” Black Ferns head coach Glenn Moore said.
“We are expecting them to be a formidable opponent. They have size, athleticism and really good game knowledge. We will give them every respect and will do our utmost to make everyone at home proud,” Moore added.
The battle between the Black Ferns’ two-time world champion halfback Kendra Cocksedge, a former World Rugby Player of the Year award winner, and her promising French counterpart Pauline Bourdon is tipped to be a highlight of the match.
Bourdon’s combination with first five-eighth Caroline Drouin flourished during the Six Nations and will be a key to the hosts’ aim to play at pace.
France and New Zealand met in the final of the 2018 World Cup Sevens, and four members of the French team are set to feature today. Centre Stacey Waaka is the only New Zealand player from that final who starts.