END THE CURSE!
England’s chance to turn tables on Kiwis
WHEN the Women’s World Cup comes to town 12 teams play for three weeks before England and New Zealand make the final.
That has more or less been the way throughout the 26- year history of the competition, with at least one of these teams featuring in all eight finals.
Canada ripped up the formbook in 2014, losing against England in the final, and the USA appeared in 1991, 1994 and 1998 and won the first. But nowadays it is pretty much a safe bet that when women play rugby, New Zealand and England will decide who rules the world.
Whether or not that is a good thing for the growth of this game is an argument for another day, but as England scrum- half Natasha Hunt said of tonight’s clash in Belfast: ‘ This is the biggest World Cup final there has ever been in the women’s game.’
It is certainly the final everyone wanted, between two sides who do not get on.
There has been a battle for supremacy in the last year.
The Kiwis won 25-20 at the Twickenham Stoop in November, England took revenge in Rotorua in June winning 29-21 to take them back to the top of the world rankings.
But after the pool stages here on Monday it flipped again, so going into the fourth World Cup final between the two, New Zealand are top of the world once more ... for now.
In front of 18,000 at the Kingspan Stadium tonight and the millions more watching on terrestrial television from their sofas at prime time, England must break a curse.
In 2002, 2006 and 2010 they played the women in black in the showpiece and were defeated. New Zealand have never lost a World Cup final.
But England defend their title in Northern Ireland. After the 2014 triumph in France, congratulatory text messages from Prince Harry, a party until 5am and a tranche of New Year’s Honours followed.
Eight of England’s current starting XV played three years ago and now they are out to do it all again — and Hunt says England want to emulate the epic defence against France in Wednesday’s semi-final.
The only change from that game is Emily Scarratt moving to fullback in place of the concussed Danielle Waterman, and Meg Jones filling in at centre.
‘We were relentless, we put in so many tackles,’ said Hunt.
‘It was hard, but we were in a semi-final and now a final, so we will be ready to go.
‘We know that they will come ferociously at our breakdown too so we must make sure we are on our game.’
Men’s captain Dylan Hartley will be watching on TV. ‘ I’m envious that they get to play a World Cup final,’ he said.
‘We’re immensely proud of them, I’m confident our girls can do it.’
There will be no prize money for the winners — World Rugby, Irish Rugby and sponsors invest around £ 7million to put the tournament on, leaving nothing for a treasure chest at the end. This is not new — the men do not receive any at their World Cup.
Under the surface of a happy tournament are stories of contract wrangling and club disputes, but all that — while important — is put aside for now.
For 80 minutes, this is about glory.
ENGLAND: Scarratt; Thompson, Jones, Burford, Wilson; Mclean, Hunt; Cornborough, Cokayne, Bern; Scott, Taylor; Matthews, Hunter (capt), Packer.
NEW ZEALAND: Winiata; Woodman, Waaka, Brazier, Wickliffe; Subritzky-Nafatali, Cocksedge; Natua, Faamausili, Itunu; Blackwell, Smith; McMenamin, Savage, Goss.