France v Black Ferns 1
-
Still trying to figure out where to watch this in the UK?
-
-
@bovidae I don't see the 9 - 10 combo as a big problem. More the lack of physicaly from the pack, which got overpowered in the breakdown all the time. Also, the line-out improved with Houpapa-Barrett starting, but the Ferns were absolutely dominated in the scrum. Defending the line against the big girls was also a huge problem.
Edit: having said that, I hope Bayler gets a start next week, to see how she goes.
-
@stargazer Demant hasn't really done much at 1st 5.
Agree about the forwards, which makes not starting Blackwell a strange decision, as she can provide some ball-carrying. Kalounivale also hasn't been in the 23 yet. Unlike the props who have played so far she can get you some go-forward against these larger forwards. That's her strength.
-
@bovidae Demant's biggest upside - as far as I can see - is that she's quite strong and tall for a 10, but she's quite limited in her skill set.
Do you know what happened to Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu? She debuted in 2019 against Canada and I thought she was a good prospect, but I don't think she was in the Counties squad for this year's FPC.
-
@stargazer She's in the Chiefs squad as one of the 3 halfbacks.
-
-
-
The black ferns showing how, once again, NZR has the forward looking instincts of a dead duck. Too late to centralise and professionalise the sevens, now the same again with women's 15s. You can add the repointing of foster to the slow steady conservative decision making.
So we're can write off the 22 and 23 world cups, and hope that after those things will pick up. Cos the 7s have shown we can still get there, it just takes the oil tanker brains in NZR to turn around to what everyone else can see.
-
@yeetyaah that was not clearly in touch and was not a knock on. Blackferns look to me like a first 15 team that used to be bigger & able to bully smaller sides but now those other sides have grown up and are actually just better at playing rugby.
-
-
Indeed. For all the nice words that get said about the domestic game (women and men)… the state of the Black Ferns and the entirely predictable failings of the All Blacks suggests the NZRU is well overdue for a wake up call.
The NZRU being who they are, it’s probably take them several wake-up calls though…
-
@donsteppa said in France v Black Ferns 1:
Indeed. For all the nice words that get said about the domestic game (women and men)… the state of the Black Ferns and the entirely predictable failings of the All Blacks suggests the NZRU is well overdue for a wake up call.
The NZRU being who they are, it’s probably take them several wake-up calls though…
honestly, take the silver lake deal, pocket the cash and pray that the historic conveyor belt of talent bails them out in both bazza and shazza forms of the game.
Feels like the Blues for a long time - poor administrator quality filters through to the on field performance
-
@sparky said in France v Black Ferns 1:
Another grim scoreline for the Black Ferns.
Serious questions need to be asked of the NZR and why the national sides are so poor at the moment.
With the women's side they simply need games. That's what the NH sides get and it shows.
We can't rely on the odd trip across the ditch and three (yes three) games of Super to build an international side.At lower levels as well women simply need more games that matter. It is ridiculously easy to get into some FPC sides and the skill levels show that. A player like Jorja Miller shines out in part because she has been in a position from a young age to get a lot of gametime and looks like she has instincts because of that.
The women game needs investment and proper coaching from the schools up with as many layers as needed to get quality games.
-
