Rampant Black Ferns enjoy the moment
If Canterbury are the Mitre 10 Cup’s benchmark, then where does that leave Wellington?
‘‘I don’t think we’re far off. If we take our learnings on board and actually learn from them, then we’re definitely there or thereabouts,’’ Lions captain Matt Proctor said after Saturday’s 27-20 defeat in Christchurch.
Lesser teams from the capital might have folded, from 22-7 down at AMI Stadium. But newlypromoted Wellington fought back fairly well and, for want of some better execution, could well have won the match.
Up against a team who’ve won nine of the last 10 titles, that wasn’t the worst effort.
In the end, it was impressive Canterbury fullback George Bridge, who spotted a defensive mismatch against Lions prop Tolu Fahamokioa, who made the difference. Bridge stepped between Fahamokioa and replacement hooker Asafo Aumua to put Caleb Makene away for the try that Wellington couldn’t quite recover from.
Having beaten Otago 34-16 first-up, Wellington had gone to Christchurch hoping to find where they sat in the premiership pecking order. Winning would’ve been good but learning was just as important to Proctor’s young side.
The trick now, as the skipper said, is to make sure Saturday’s narrow defeat wasn’t for nothing.
In Saturday’s other clash, Waikato weren’t good enough to keep North Harbour at bay in Hamilton. Up 21-8, with 20 minutes remaining, Waikato eventually lost 29-28 to a Harbour side whose victory carried them to the top of the premiership table.
Taranaki registered their first win of the competition in impressive style on Friday, beating Manawatu 41-21 in their fourth Ranfurly Shield defence of It was more than a home game for the Black Ferns. It was their moment. It is virtually a year to the day since Black Ferns skipper Faio’o Faamausili lifted the Rugby World Cup in Belfast.
Saturday night’s second test of the Laurie O’Reilly series at Eden Park was the first opportunity the world champions had to play before a home crowd since that gutsy win over England in the ❚ (Braydon Ennor, Reed Prinsep, Mitchell Drummond, Caleb Makene tries; Brett Cameron pen, 2 con) Wellington 20 (Thomas UmagaJensen, James O’Reilly, Du’Plessis Kirifi tries; Jackson GardenBachop con, pen). HT: 22-7.
❚ North Harbour 29 (Tevita Li 2, penalty try, Murphy Taramai tries; Bryn Gatland 3 con, pen) Waikato 28 (Jordan Manihera, Declan O’Donnell, Quinn Tupaea, Tyler Campbell tries; Fletcher Smith 4 con). HT: 8-7.
Marvel at the speed and athleticism all you want, gasp at the timing and instinctive brilliance, but TJ Perenara looks elsewhere for the quality that sets Beauden Barrett apart as the world’s best rugby player.
Barrett, of course, produced a tour de force in the All Blacks’ 40-12 dismantling of the Wallabies on Eden Park with a record-breaking four tries and 30 points underlining his status as the game’s pre-eminent player. He could have had five, too, but for some over-zealous TMO interference that found an Ardie Savea knock-on at a ruck that the player said never happened.
It was Barrett at his very,
very best as the All Blacks tucked the Bledisloe Cup away for a 16th straight year, with final, which saw them claim a record fifth world title.
That a year has passed between the Black Ferns historic win and their first outing at home, the second match of a trans-Tasman double-header, demonstrates the sparse international calendar for women’s rugby.
The Black Ferns don’t get many opportunities to impress, so when they do, they have to take them.
They did just that on Saturday night, producing a dominant 45-17
some fabulous lines to finish a couple of surging breakouts, a brilliant 50-metre explosion off win over the Wallaroos, to wrap up the series 2-0.
‘‘We always want to go out there and put our best foot forward for the women’s game,’’ Faamausili said as she reflected on another stand-out performance.
This one was special though. The sense of occasion had been building all week as NZ Rugby flexed their marketing might to ensure the women’s fixture was promoted just as breathlessly as the Bledisloe Cup match.
The Black Ferns World Cup