Quartet included to bolster Black Ferns Phoenix signings to miss cup campaign
Commonwealth Games sevens bronze medallists Theresa Fitzpatrick and Tyla Nathan-Wong and World Cup winners Victoria Subritzy-Nafatali and Charmaine McMenamin will join the Black Ferns for the O’Reilly Cup series against Australia.
Director of rugby Wayne Smith named the quartet in a 33-strong squad for two tests in Christchurch on August 20 and Adelaide on August 27.
Inside back Ruahei Demant will be joined as co-captain by Waikato loose forward Kennedy Simon with former skipper Les Elder again overlooked.
Elder’s hopes of making the World Cup look dim after missing selection for a second time this year.
Demant led the Black Ferns to the Pacific Four tournament victory in June, while Simon was the 2021 Black Ferns Player of the Year but missed the most recent series with a knee injury.
Smith said the return of loose forward McMenamin and inside back Subritzky-Nafatali added experience and depth.
Nathan-Wong – a Black Ferns Olympic sevens gold medallist – is one of three new caps in the test squad, along with Chiefs props Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, 24, and Santo Taumata, 19.
Smith said the standard of play in the Farah Palmer Cup set a strong platform for players coming into this series.
The beauty of the FPC at the moment is there is huge attacking intent, players are in better condition and as a result we are seeing fast, open and exciting games.
‘‘The trial we held early last month also added real depth to our game. It did end up a bit one-sided but regardless of the result there were players from both sides who showed up and we saw humility, honest endeavour and drive, which are attributes we are looking for,’’ Smith said.
The two-match test series holds special importance to Smith, named after his former coaching mentor and friend Laurie O’Reilly.
‘‘Laurie inspired me to be a coach and I feel really fortunate to have had such a great relationship with him.
‘‘These are test matches and they are called that for a reason – they test our ability to play under pressure against other world-class players. These are incredibly important games from a historic perspective, an emotional one and as a selection tool for the World Cup.’’
Bulgarian recruit Bozhidar Kraev is poised to make his first appearance for the Wellington Phoenix in the club’s Australia Cup round of 32 clash against second-tier Tasmanian side Devonport City Strikers today.
However, they will be without two other new signings due to a ‘‘strange’’ ruling.
Steven Ugarkovic and loanee Lucas Mauragis have both been deemed ineligible to take the field for the Phoenix throughout the knockout cup campaign as they are cup tied from games they played with their previous clubs at the back end of last season.
Ugarkovic played for Western Sydney Wanderers and Mauragis for Newcastle Jets during a new playoff round for teams that finished in the bottom four of the A-League Men table.
The Wanderers lost their playoff, meaning they failed to qualify for the Australia Cup proper, while the Jets won their match but were then knocked out in the round of 32.
‘‘It’s a strange one,’’ Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay said.
‘‘I think it could possibly be changed or maybe players need to make a decision whether they play in those games or not if they’re going to decide to leave the club, because if they play in that game they’re cup-tied for the next club that they go to.’’
Talay confirmed Kraev would see his first minutes against the semi-professional side, who have former Phoenix goalkeeper Keegan Smith in their ranks, but probably from the bench after only arriving in New Zealand a fortnight ago.
‘‘He’s only been with us a short time so we don’t expect him to start and play 90 minutes but we will try to give him some minutes within the game.
‘‘He’s doing some extra stuff, obviously to try and catch up with where the rest of the boys are currently at but he’s looking good and has settled in quite well.’’
The cup contest will be the Phoenix’s first competitive hit-out after a short pre-season but even without a couple of their new signings, as well as injured pair Alex Rufer and David Ball, they should still make light work of the NPL Tasmania leaders.
Devonport made it as far as the round of 16 stage in their two previous cup appearances in 2016 and 2018, but this is the first time they have been drawn to play A-League Men opposition.