Mind games, laughs as Black Ferns, England hold court
Simon Middleton was once a student of Wayne Smith and tomorrow he has the chance to show how he has mastered his craft.
But neither coach was the star attraction as England and the Black Ferns conducted their team-naming press conferences yesterday ahead of the Rugby World Cup final.
That was New Zealand winger Ruby Tui, who has a big reputation to live up to when she sits in front of a microphone, as she did just after lunchtime at the team hotel alongside retiring halfback Kendra Cocksedge.
Her extremely loose interview style might not be to everyone’s tastes, but in a sporting world dominated by men who often say very little of interest, she is a welcome breath of fresh air.
Why does she think Kiwis have got behind the Black Ferns the way they have, selling out Eden Park this weekend?
‘‘Obviously I’m pretty funny,’’ Tui deadpanned.
There had already been plenty of laughter when she recalled her first meeting with Cocksedge more than a decade earlier at Ilam Fields in Christchurch: ‘‘She had all the gears. She was pretty slick with all the skills. She was one step ahead of everyone else on the field.’’
But there was more at that point, before Tui launched into an impassioned answer about how far the Black Ferns had come in terms of public awareness, even just in the last few months.
The laughs continued later on when she made sure everyone knew she wasn’t a fan of Cocksedge’s choice of pre-game music – Canadian pop star Ce´line Dion.
Laughter was less common earlier in the day, when Middleton sat next to England captain Sarah Hunter at their hotel, just 10 minutes down the road, for an audience gathered in-person and on Zoom.
One of those tuning in from afar was a man named Mario who wanted Middleton to weigh in on France’s selection choices in their loss to the Black Ferns last weekend, an offer he turned down with a bemused grin.
The most intriguing nugget the England coach had to offer was that as a youngster, he attended a Smith coaching masterclass and watched The Professor at work under lights.
The bright lights will be on both their work tomorrow in front of a crowd of around 40,000 and Middleton wasn’t afraid to play a few mind games as the first of the two coaches to speak publicly.
Asked if a crowd that size would be intimidating for his side, Middleton said: ‘‘It will be more intimidating for them. To lose in front of your home crowd is a tough gig. So the pressure on them is absolutely massive.’’
When that was put to Smith a few hours later, there was a wry smile. ‘‘Look, I’ve been coaching for 36 years, he’s just a newcomer – he’s trying to put pressure on an old fella.’’
On more serious note, he said there were ‘‘not enough platitudes for what [Middleton] has done’’ at the helm of a team that has won 30 tests in a row, a record that makes them ‘‘the best team of all time, probably’’.
Whether he intended it or not, Smith was alluding to what’s at stake for the Red Roses – they will either extend their streak to 31 wins and beyond while winning a World Cup in the process or it will end at 30 with their first defeat in three years coming in a World Cup final.*