‘You can’t expect to walk over them’: Smith chips Black Ferns
The Black Ferns didn’t pay the price against an improved Aussie team, but coach Wayne Smith tells Joseph Pearson they weren’t quite in the right state of mind.
WAYNE Smith seemed puzzled with how the Black Ferns were unable to switch on against Wallaroos side he said ‘‘were a different team’’ after last Saturday’s drubbing in Christchurch.
The Black Ferns, after retaining the O’Reilly Cup by trouncing the Wallaroos 52-5, had to overcome a far greater challenge to beat the Australians again in Adelaide, winning 22-14 yesterday.
Coach Smith said grinding out an ugly victory across the ditch was a valuable lesson for a young, inexperienced team who still earned a fifth successive win of his tenure.
However, with six weeks until they host the same Wallaroos side in their Rugby World Cup opener at Eden Park, this was by far their least convincing performance following the ease in which they dispatched Australia just seven days prior.
‘‘You have to give credit to the Aussies,’’ Smith said from Adelaide.
‘‘We know what to do, we’ve shown that on the field, but it’s the mental side of the game we’ve got to be prepared for every time.
‘‘You can’t come to someone else’s country and expect to walk over them.
‘‘They march behind the flag and sing the national anthem. It’s a totally different kettle of fish.’’
Above all, it was a not a performance that should worry World Cup favourites England and France.
The test never got away from the Black Ferns and the 50thminute try for outstanding lock Joanah Ngan-Woo appeared to seal the deal, the score then 17-7, before a Kendra Reynolds try extended the lead to 15 with 17min remaining.
A second try for Australia’s debutant wing, Bienne Terita, narrowed the score on the hooter and seemed more of a fair reflection on the Wallaroos’ efforts, although a first win over New Zealand remains elusive.
They improved out of sight and limited New Zealand’s attacking game with excellent, efficient work at the breakdown.
Smith said NZ weren’t quite in the right state of the mind, although they were strong enough to earn another victory in their last scheduled test before the World Cup.
‘‘We definitely got the test. I could see as they were coming out of the changing room, they were hugely focused, the Aussie girls,’’ he said
‘‘They’d had a tough week dealing with that loss in Christchurch.
‘‘You have to take your hat off to them because they were outstanding, physical, wellorganised and put us under real pressure.’’
Wins this season have been easier to come by – this was their third against Australia after defeating Canada (28-0) and the United States (50-6) – but the manner in which the Black Ferns were consistently dominated at the ruck is a concern.
Co-captain Ruahei Demant was another solid figure in the middle, playing at first and second five-eighth, and said the Wallaroos successfully disrupted their plan of attack.
‘‘They slowed our ball down. We struggled to stay on top and penetrate their defence. It was a hard day but a good test,’’ she said.
‘‘Our execution let us down. There were a few tries where [we missed] that final pass or final catch.’’
The Black Ferns, with another eight changes after regularly rotating the team, had to deal with adversity.
Midfielder Chelsea Semple was knocked out and sinbinned in the first half for a tackle attempt that led to a clash of heads with Wallaroos prop Liz Patu. She walked off but couldn’t play on.
Co-captain and loose forward Kennedy Simon hobbled off with a calf injury and left on crutches. Simon missed the season’s opening three tests with a knee injury and was helped from the field in the first half. The extent of her calf problem was not clear but losing the star loose forward would be a huge blow for the World Cup.
‘We know what to do, we’ve shown that on the field, but it’s the mental side of the game we’ve got to be prepared for every time.’ WAYNE SMITH