Covid offers silver lining for Black Ferns coach

Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore is focusing on positives amid the chaos caused by Covid-19 and one big bonus of this altered rugby season is the earlier reintroduction of New Zealand’s best sevens stars to the 15-a-side game in the Farah Palmer Cup.

World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) confirmed that the Black Ferns would begin their defence of the Rugby World Cup on home soil at Eden Park in exactly 12 months from yesterday.

However, a sour note this week was NZR revealing the Black Ferns would not be playing any tests in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic wiping out their schedule and there being no opposition to arrange

matches with.

Moore is disappointed with the loss of a bumper eight-test schedule he said was their ‘‘best ever’’.

But getting the Farah Palmer Cup started this month, bolstered by a host of the world’s best women’s seven players, is one luxury Moore and his coaching staff can savour after Auckland’s recent Covid-19 out

break delayed the first round by two weeks.

The cancellation of the Sevens World Series and the Olympics being postponed have given many sevens players a chance to crossover to 15s sooner than planned, something that could benefit the Black Ferns in their World Cup preparations.

Before Covid-19, most were not planning to switch their focus away from sevens until next year ahead of the World Cup starting on September 18, but the likes of Portia Woodman, Michaela Blyde, Stacey Fluhler, Sarah Hirini and Tyla Nathan-Wong returned to 15s via club rugby in June.

New Zealand’s champion women’s sevens team has been unstoppable on the world stage since losing the Olympic final to Australia in 2016, so the return of those players to the Farah Palmer Cup is a huge lift for the competition.

‘‘The Farah Palmer Cup has been great for us,’’ Moore said. ‘‘To see our sevens stars over a period of time playing 15s, seeing them adapt, we’re getting a picture now of where they’re at.’’

Many of New Zealand’s rivals for next year’s World Cup, including the likes of England, France, Canada and the United States, can’t even stage a domestic league while Covid-19 still engulfs their countries.

‘‘It gives us an advantage over the other big hitters around the world,’’ Moore said of the Farah Palmer Cup. ‘‘We’ve got to take the most out of that because we certainly can’t control what Covid is doing.’’

Moore said he was encouraged by the quality of matches and talent on display, giving Northland a special mention after pushing heavyweights Waikato and Auckland all the way in the opening two rounds in just their second season, although they fell to narrow defeats.

The Black Ferns have joined up for training sessions and will at least play together in November, including an inter-squad match and two fixtures against teams comprised of players from the Farah Palmer Cup competition.