Black Ferns v Australia
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She's missed that by miles. I can see that from here ffs.
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Black Ferns will be happy with that.
Still you would think those are conditions the Aussie don't get much of. It's hard to underestimate how hard some of the rain was. At points during both games it was raining so hard it looked like it was a mist across the field.
Ground was cut up by the end. Ball barely bouncing.
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@Crucial said in Black Ferns v Australia:
I’m on the delayed showing so haven’t read anything but geez that ref is an annoying bint. Talk about bossy. Loves to talk way too much
I thought she did a good job tbh. Clear communication, consistent interpretation and reasonably accurate in her adjudications.
That a woman is verbose given a platform is hardly astonishing.
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@antipodean said in Black Ferns v Australia:
@Crucial said in Black Ferns v Australia:
I’m on the delayed showing so haven’t read anything but geez that ref is an annoying bint. Talk about bossy. Loves to talk way too much
I thought she did a good job tbh. Clear communication, consistent interpretation and reasonably accurate in her adjudications.
That a woman is verbose given a platform is hardly astonishing.
Duck and Cover will protect you as much as it would against a nuke
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A few comments on the first Black Ferns game of 2022 against the Wallaroos, who were playing their third test of the year.
The BFs looked lacklustre in the first half, like they were a bit intimidated by the occasion. I can understand that from all the debutants, but it shouldn't affect the whole team. The terrible weather definitely had an impact on the game, but I think both teams dealt reasonably well with it, the BFs particularly in the 2nd half. The coaches' comments and instructions during the break definitely had the desired effect. There was way more spark in the team.
I really don't see what Demant adds to the team. She's not a good 10. Tubic is so much better. Unfortunately, she's the captain, so she's likely to start in all the big games. Hopefully, not at 10.
Also thought the reserve frontrowers were much better than the starters. Their impact was critical for the outcome of the game.
I liked what I saw from Roos and Alana Bremner in the forwards, and Cocksedge in th backs was good. Promising debuts from, particularly, Teneti, Mulu and Kalounivale. I thought Semple and Holmes were a bit disappointing. Leti-I’iga, despite all her try-scoring abilities, didn't have her best game with her decision-making not always on point.
All in all a good start of the Series, but the BFs will need to improve a lot if they want to win the World Cup. England and France would have destroyed the Ferns in that first half.
About the officials: they annoyed the hell out of me. Super pedantic about the flying wedge, for which they disallowed the try, but not carding an Australian player for what was clearly a high tackle? I thought NH refs were so strict on that? I've seen Sara Cox handing out cards in the Women's Six Nations. I'm not saying it should have been a red (I'd like to see a replay of the tackle first), because there may have been mitigation (not convinced though), but I think there was more than enough reason for a yellow.
Anyway, the next game is against Canada, which smashed the USA. I'd like to see a lot of improvement from the Ferns, and they should beat Canada.
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Fancy picking the two best props in Aupiki and them dominating in the scrum and being prominent with ball in hand. In fact, all of the reserve forwards made an impact. We might have found the long-term BF no.8. Olsen-Baker was the best player on the field.
@Stargazer I didn't think that Cocksedge was that great. She still stuffs around at the breakdown. No idea why she wasn't subbed either. If Tubic is playing she should be the goal kicker.
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Just back from a wet day out, including this match. Really a match of two halves, in appalling conditions. The masterstroke came with the substitutions - big bruising front-rowers - and a lot of go forward, and the influence of Hazel Tubic. She had an ability to gain lots of ground in the rain and mud, while nobody else seemed capable.
There were a lot of rapt NZRU staff close to me in the stand. Plenty to cheer about, with a great crowd and an even better result to start the buildup to the World Cup.
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Watched the game on tv, and honest truth, I know it was raining etc, but if I watched the U15s college rugby, I would expect at least that skill level, and rugby nous! Improved a bit in second half , but I don't think it was very impressive at all. I hope it just a real bad first up game, as I saw nothing that will get many ecited about a WC later in year.
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@Dan54 said in Black Ferns v Australia:
Watched the game on tv, and honest truth, I know it was raining etc, but if I watched the U15s college rugby, I would expect at least that skill level, and rugby nous! Improved a bit in second half , but I don't think it was very impressive at all. I hope it just a real bad first up game, as I saw nothing that will get many ecited about a WC later in year.
The defence of the first maul try by the BF was worse than U15s! Watch some Eng v Fra ladies, they actually defend with venom at the try line.
Ref just as bad 1st BF try should have been a red, at least a yellow there was no mitiagtion coat hanger -
@Dan54 said in Black Ferns v Australia:
Watched the game on tv, and honest truth, I know it was raining etc, but if I watched the U15s college rugby, I would expect at least that skill level, and rugby nous! Improved a bit in second half , but I don't think it was very impressive at all. I hope it just a real bad first up game, as I saw nothing that will get many ecited about a WC later in year.
Improved heaps in the second half, not “a bit”.
The run on side had new combos everywhere and seemed to be Smith throwing some players in to see how they coped. He has also taken responsibility for sending them out with a game plan that didn’t match the weather. All very Smith and designed to see where they were at.
The new front row changed the game. I haven’t seen such a dominant scrum in ages. Absolutely monstered the Aussies and gave the team license to try things in the wet knowing that a knock on would just lead to a scrum turnover.
The outcome was great for the coaches in that they have oodles of material to use on up skill and decisions.
They do look like they need to run endless drills on passing at speed though and the forwards need a bit more mongrel in their hits but all in all given the newness of the group it was a good building block. -
By all means I not writing them off, and thought things like scrum improved a lot after halftime ,even before the subs came on, and thought maybe Cron could see what was going wrong and sorted. And in general skills were better in second half and really hope they improve at least that much again in next test, as even in second half they atill weren't great, but I do say you have to take into account first up test etc.
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I think they will beat Canada based on the respective efforts in the two games. Canada looked impressive but that game lacked the intensity of the Black Ferns game. This was noticeable at the ground.
I was quite impressed with the BF actually. They clearly changed strategy at half time and ground out an effective wet weather win.
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@Stargazer said in Black Ferns v Australia:
About the officials: they annoyed the hell out of me. Super pedantic about the flying wedge, for which they disallowed the try, but not carding an Australian player for what was clearly a high tackle? I thought NH refs were so strict on that? I've seen Sara Cox handing out cards in the Women's Six Nations. I'm not saying it should have been a red (I'd like to see a replay of the tackle first), because there may have been mitigation (not convinced though), but I think there was more than enough reason for a yellow.
No post game citing so definitely no more than a yellow.
Stupid thing is that if that coathanger had stopped the try I would put the house on that being ruled as a PT/YC possibly more.
I don't get how foul play is mitigated by a score and never have.It's like when teams are on a warning and they keep infringing but advantage is played and the other team scores. It seems to all go away. I think we had one recent example in Super where a ref had the balls to still card after the try but it is pretty rare.
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First game of the year and took us a while to get going. Other than Kendra, Dumant and Chelsea Semple, we fielded a pretty inexperienced side.
Tough conditions with the ball. Happy to get the win and congrats to our young number 8 Olsen-Baker scoring a wonderful try on debut.
