From rock bottom, Black Ferns get shot at redemption

Saturday’s Eden Park semifinal against the French will be two weeks shy of a year since the Black Ferns trudged off the field in Castres after another bruising tour defeat to France.

The five-time, reigning world champions were broken.

The 29-7 loss to Les Bleues was their fourth in a row to complete successive fortnights in which they lost heavily twice to both England and France last November.

The Black Ferns arrived in Europe after 27 months of no test rugby and faced two improving, professional teams at the top of their game. Still, the manner of their defeats was nonetheless surprising. Alarming, in fact, for New Zealand Rugby, so soon to hosting the women’s

Rugby World Cup for the first time this year after its 12-month delay because of Covid-19.

The release of the culture review in April, sparked by former Black Fern Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate outlining her mental struggles days after the tour, also exposed major shortcomings in NZ Rugby’s support for high performance women’s rugby. Former coach Glenn Moore resigned in the fallout, six months before the World Cup.

Iconic coach Wayne Smith replaced Moore at short notice, admitting he didn’t know all the players, and it was difficult to see how they could recover to beat England or France in the scenario of a knockout match that’s been looming since they clashed nearly 12 months ago. Well, here we are.

The Black Ferns believe they can win the World Cup after 10 successive wins since June and played their strongest lineup of Smith’s tenure in Saturday’s 55-3 quarterfinal win over Wales.

A semifinal against England or France, however, is what their whole season has been building towards.

Their physicality and scrum power might also be peaking at the right time.

The Black Ferns have lost their last four tests against France since 2018, with all four on French soil.

Tighthead prop Amy Rule made her test debut on last year’s tour against their packs and has since played 11 tests.

‘‘It’s probably been a year of build-up for this opportunity to have another crack at France,’’ Rule said.

‘‘I’m excited. We’ve been working hard, they’ve been working hard, and it’s going to be a big battle. I can’t wait.’’

Kendra Cocksedge has been extending her record as the mostcapped Black Fern – she went to 66 tests in their quarterfinal victory – and said in the tournament’s first week that she was really worried about the team in January when effects of the tour were still raw.

Nine months later, the retiring 34-year-old halfback and two-time World Cup winner is more upbeat in the final weeks of her career.

‘‘It’s a World Cup, right? It’s at home as well. We’ve got a bit of redemption there, no doubt,’’ she said.

‘‘I don’t think any [team] can preview us because of the chaos we’re causing with our attack.

‘‘We don’t have anything too structured. We just play the game and are expressing ourselves.

‘‘I believe we can this World Cup.’’