Black Ferns hang on for uglywin as Baabaas flex

THE Black Ferns wanted a challenge with no international fixtures in 2020 and the New Zealand Barbarians have absolutely provided one.

Their second clash at Nelson’s Trafalgar Park, won 19-17 by the Black Ferns, went down to the wire yesterday and national selectors will have plenty of decisions to ponder after the final match of the women’s season, 10 months out from New Zealand’s defence of the Rugby World Cup on home soil.

NZR will finalise most of the contracts in the women’s 15’s programme for 2021 next month’ and several Barbarians in red have certainly put their hands up to wear black.

The Black Ferns were eventually too strong last Saturday but the world champs grimly hung on for the ugliest of victories in the Tasman sun and failed to register a point in the second 40 minutes.

Experienced No 8

Charmaine McMenamin was excellent again, as was skipper Eloise Blackwell and test loose forward Aroha Savage, who made a big impact off the bench in a scrappy second stanza, but it was not a performance coaches wanted to finish the season and even star halfback Kendra Cocksedge was not at her best.

Their next matches will

potentially be tests next April or May and can’t come soon enough in World Cup year.

New Zealand’s defence stood tall when it mattered to deny the Baabaas a shock win and one final attack was repelled in a frantic final minute.

The Barbarians trailed by just two points with 17 minutes left once Patricia Maliepo broke the deadlock in the second half with a penalty goal and the Black Ferns could not break them down.

The Black Ferns approached the Baabaas during their haka, the teams going nose-to-nose and staring one another out, and firing up the players in what was effectively a final trial ahead of next year’s cup.

In true Barbarians fashion they flustered the Black Ferns with dazzling attacks from the training ground, as well as plenty of spontaneous plays from the likes of their promising rookie playmaker, 17-year-old Maliepo.

Canadian international Cindy Nelles was also excellent for the Baabaas at No 8, as was lock Joanah Ngan-Woo.