2017 Black Ferns (including World Cup)
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Results of the last round of pool games:
Canada 5 - 48 Black Ferns
England 47 - 26 USA
Italy 8 - 22 Spain
Australia 29 - 15 Japan
Wales 39 - 15 Hong Kong
France 21 - 5 IrelandSemi-finals (Tue 22 - Wed 23 August NZT):
11.00pm, Sky Sport 3: 9th place SF: Italy v Japan
01.00am, Sky Sport 2: 5th place SF: Ireland v Australia
01.30am, Sky Sport 1: 9th place SF: Spain v Hong Kong
04.00am, Sky Sport 2: 5th place SF: Canada v Wales
04.00am, Sky Sport 1: Semi-Final: New Zealand v USA
06.45am, Sky Sport 1: Semi-Final: England v FranceIt must be said, Sky are doing an outstanding job of covering the Women's RWC. Hope they'll continue doing that with the Women's Sevens Series.
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Black Ferns team to play the USA in the semi-final (number of caps in brackets):
1 Toka Natua (14)
2 Fiao'o Faamausili - captain (50)
3 Aldora Itunu (13)
4 Eloise Blackwell (30)
5 Charmaine Smith (14)
6 Charmaine McMenamin (12)
7 Sarah Goss (8)
8 Aroha Savage (26)
9 Kendra Cocksedge (40)
10 Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali (17)
11 Renee Wickliffe (28)
12 Kelly Brazier (35)
13 Stacey Waaka (9)
14 Portia Woodman (14)
15 Selica Winiata (29)16 Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate (18)
17 Sosoli Talawadua (6)
18 Aleisha Nelson (24)
19 Rebecca Wood (5)
20 Lesley Ketu (7)
21 Linda Itunu (34)
22 Theresa Fitzpatrick (5)
23 Carla Hohepha (23)Wednesday, 23 August - kickoff at 4.00am (NZT)
New Zealand: live on Sky Sport 1 (replays: 5.20am, Prim / 4.00pm, Rugby Ch / 4.30pm, Sky Sport 1 etc)
Australia: live on Fox Sports Channel 505 (all games are live either on Ch 503 or 505); replay 9.00am, FoxSp Ch 501 / 7.00pm, FoxSp Ch 503.
UK: live on ITV4 (both SFs only?)
Ireland: live on ITV4 and eir Sport 1
USA: live (12.00pm ET) on NBC Sportshttp://www.allblacks.com/News/31259/black-ferns-team-named-for-semifinal
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@Bovidae I've seen Brazier taking over the halfback role several times, including when Cocksedge was in the bin in one of the pool games. Never seen Winiata in that role, so that's why I expect Brazier will cover halfback, but I could be wrong.
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Wow! No posts?
Comfortable 7 tries to 2 win over the Seppos. 4 tries to Woodman.
Wasn't easy for them and they had to battle for about a 50 minute period.
Not sure if it was a tactical thing but USA turned us over a lot at the breakdown. Need to send in a little more support on the tackle
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Too early in the morning to watch live NZT.
I've just watched the game now. A really enjoyable match and some fantastic skills on display.
Looking ahead to the final, the Black Ferns better also be working on:
(1) Tackling technique, they can't afford to lose players to the sinbin for high tackles (again) in the final.
(2) Defending drives/mauls - England dominated NZ in this area earlier in the year.
(3) Getting to ball to Portia.
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Saw about 10 mins just after half time of Eng v France (lunch time today) and last 10 mins or so of BFs v Usa.
Didn't see enough to make definitive comment on who will be favourite.
I did notice something the Poms were doing that raised the levels on my whingeometer: when going to ground in the tackle rather than placing the ball immediately they rolled over, preventing the defending player playing at the ball, before placing it. Happened more than once. Wondered if it wad a deliberate dirty stinking typically Pom cheating tactic.
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It seems like it's going to be awesome attack vs excellent defence.
Getting it out wide letting the back 3 loose vs keeping it in close and plenty of drives/mauls.
And high tackles+neck-rolls/etc vs sneaky ruck tactics.
All in all - all the old(?) stereotypes about NZ vs Eng rugby - writ large. -
@booboo said in 2017 Black Ferns (including World Cup):
Saw about 10 mins just after half time of Eng v France (lunch time today) and last 10 mins or so of BFs v Usa.
Didn't see enough to make definitive comment on who will be favourite.
I did notice something the Poms were doing that raised the levels on my whingeometer: when going to ground in the tackle rather than placing the ball immediately they rolled over, preventing the defending player playing at the ball, before placing it. Happened more than once. Wondered if it wad a deliberate dirty stinking typically Pom cheating tactic.
i watched both games and it was quite noticeable that the reffing is slightly different than what we see in the men's game at the breakdown. I saw quite a bit that wouldn't be let go in the men's game at this level. Probably more akin to club rugby.
The amount of turnovers is huge with quite a lot of leeway on releasing.
I think there is a desire for an attractive game married with different levels of physicality that means slight tweaks are needed to let things flow. -
Just read that the Black Ferns have jumped back to the number one spot in the World Rankings after the pool stage of the World Cup. New Zealand and England are so close in the rankings, that the Final will probably determine who ends up on top after the event.
Black Ferns return to top of rankings
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It's good to see Kelly Brazier so confident, but I don't think it will be a walk in the park.
Hopefully we will deliver some payback to England after that dreadful showing at Rotovegas, But our pack will need to tackle like demons, the England girls look big and strong and are a seasoned bunch.
Managed to livestream some of both semis at work, and noted we only overcame USA after about 50 mins, while England and France had a good old fashioned ding dong in the rain and it was England's determination that finally won over. England made a lot of tackles in that natch and it remains to be seen whether this will be a factor in the final.
It will be our pace and guile against England's brute force. A dry track will help our cause, but our tactics need to be spot on, and our execution much better, -
Black Ferns team for the World Cup Final against England (number of caps in brackets):
1 Toka Natua (15)
2 Fiao'o Faamausili - captain (51)
3 Aldora Itunu (14)
4 Eloise Blackwell (31)
5 Charmaine Smith (15)
6 Charmaine McMenamin (13)
7 Sarah Goss (9)
8 Aroha Savage (27)
9 Kendra Cocksedge (41)
10 Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali (18)
11 Renee Wickliffe (29)
12 Kelly Brazier (36)
13 Stacey Waaka (10)
14 Portia Woodman (15)
15 Selica Winiata (30)16 Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate (19)
17 Sosoli Talawadua (7)
18 Aleisha Nelson (25)
19 Rebecca Wood (6)
20 Lesley Ketu (8)
21 Kristina Sue (9)
22 Theresa Fitzpatrick (6)
23 Carla Hohepa (18)Live on Sky Sport 2 - Sunday 27 August 2017 - Kick-off 6.45am NZT
Replays: Sun 8.05am, Prime TV / Mon 9.30pm, Rugby Channel / Tue 4.00pm, Sky Sport 1+++++++++++++++++++++++
Other play-off games:
11th place play-off - Sat 26 Aug 23.00 NZT - delayed on the Rugby Channel at 12.40pm
Japan v Hong Kong7th place play-off - Sun 27 Aug 1.00 NZT - Live on the Rugby Channel
Ireland v Wales9th place play-off - Sun 27 Aug 1.30 NZT - delayed on the Rugby Channel at 2.35pm
Italy v Spain5th place play-off - Sun 27 Aug 4.00 NZT - Live on the Rugby Channel
Australia v CanadaBronze Final - Sun 27 Aug 4.00 NZT - Live on Sky Sport 2 - Replay: Sun 5.20am, Prime TV / Mon 7.30pm, Rugby Channel
France v USA -
@Stargazer I don't follow women's rugby much, but are Cocksedge and Subritzky-etc in contention for the NZ sevens team - and is Michaela Blyde not in contention for the XVs?
I'd tend to think the XVs 9 and 10 would be pretty useful in sevens, and equally that Blyde would be a major force in XVs?
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@Chris-B. Cocksedge used to play 7s, but not anymore. Not sure whether that's because they don't selected her anymore, or that it's a career choice. She works as a women's rugby development officer (based in Chch) for NZR. She has been playing for a long time, so maybe she thinks it's time for her professional career. She has said that she will decide after the WC whether she'll continue playing international rugby (XVs).
Subritzky is powerful, but probably not fast enough for 7s. Not sure whether she's ever played 7s. Maybe in the time she played for Canterbury in the NPC, she also played for their 7s team, but not sure. Blyde is a 7s specialist, but I vaguely remember her playing for Taranaki (XVs) when they still had a team, but that may also have been their 7s team. We'll see what she is going to do when and if Taranaki will field a XVs team in the women' NPC (Farah Palmer Cup) next year.
Woodman, Goss, Waaka, Wickliffe, Fitzpatrick and Brazier are at the moment the only Black Ferns who got a contract for the 2016-17 sevens team; strangely enough, they didn't select Winiata this year (who was interested in playing 7s and has been for a long time). It will be interesting which players will get a contract/are available for 7s next season, because in 2018 are the World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games Sevens.
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Watching the arse-end of Italy-Spain (not to say with any focus on the asses) - went into extra-time, and apparently if it's a draw at the end of that - it would go to a kicking contest.
Unfortunately, Italy just scored a try to take the win - I would have been interested in watching the randomness of a kicking competition, considering the standard of kicking we've seen thus far ("kicking like a girl").
