2022 Black Ferns
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Black Ferns named for first Test of Pacific Four Series
The Black Ferns team to play Australia at Tauranga Domain in their first Pacific Four Test this Queen’s Birthday Monday has been named (kick off 2.45pm).
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@Machpants said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2022 Black Ferns:
Definitely a new era. Only 13 caps in the starting forward pack.
Jesus, England are going to eat them up. Building for 2025, hopefully we can return the favour of taking England home world cup
So are we just abandoning competing for the home RWC, or are these young kids better than the old stagers?
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@Crucial Yeah, that was the info I was looking for in the media release, but it doesn't contain an "unavailable (due to injury)" list.
The article on Stuff doesn't contain any injury info either and NZH hasn't even published an article about the team naming (yet).
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@canefan Obviously, the aim will be winning the RWC (which coach doesn't want to win it), but maybe they just thought the previous coaching set-up had it all wrong and they think this may work better? Wait and see how it goes, but I'll be watching with interest.
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@canefan said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@Machpants said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2022 Black Ferns:
Definitely a new era. Only 13 caps in the starting forward pack.
Jesus, England are going to eat them up. Building for 2025, hopefully we can return the favour of taking England home world cup
So are we just abandoning competing for the home RWC, or are these young kids better than the old stagers?
I don't know, I think we've hardly played and when we did we got smashed. Covid on top of the rubbish women's rugby set up in NZ & SH means there really is not much to be done beyond damage limitation.
As was pointed out up thread, England have players with more caps than the number of times the black ferns have played tests. I would imagine many England players have more caps than BF starting teams, and more first class games than the entire squad!
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@Machpants Yep, Kendra Cocksedge will become the most capped BF with 58 tests, but during the Women's 6 Nations, England centre Emily Scarratt played her 100th test and I don't even think she's the most capped England player. They play so many more test matches, it's just ridiculous if you think about how few tests the BFs play each year, although this may increase in the post-covid era, if they finally make the Pacific Four Series a permanent event (and maybe add Fijiana and Japan to make it a Pacific 6 Nations).
Before Covid, they had the International Super Series with NZ, USA, Canada and France, but that tournament was sacrificed each time WR had other ideas, for example, replacing it by Women's RWC qualifiers for the USA and Canada, and then not playing other tests.
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@Machpants said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@canefan said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@Machpants said in 2022 Black Ferns:
@Bovidae said in 2022 Black Ferns:
Definitely a new era. Only 13 caps in the starting forward pack.
Jesus, England are going to eat them up. Building for 2025, hopefully we can return the favour of taking England home world cup
So are we just abandoning competing for the home RWC, or are these young kids better than the old stagers?
I don't know, I think we've hardly played and when we did we got smashed. Covid on top of the rubbish women's rugby set up in NZ & SH means there really is not much to be done beyond damage limitation.
As was pointed out up thread, England have players with more caps than the number of times the black ferns have played tests. I would imagine many England players have more caps than BF starting teams, and more first class games than the entire squad!
I'm sure Wayne knows what he is doing and has picked the best team available. Just seems like a lot of familiar names are absent
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Has there ever been any mention of the BF's playing a NZ male age grade team to up their experience? NZ netball play a male team to help with their prep, why can't the BF's play an under 18 (or older or younger to help get the intensity right) male team to help with their prep?
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@Toddy said in 2022 Black Ferns:
Has there ever been any mention of the BF's playing a NZ male age grade team to up their experience? NZ netball play a male team to help with their prep, why can't the BF's play an under 18 (or older or younger to help get the intensity right) male team to help with their prep?
We need a formal competition like TRC. But who else can we include aside from Australia? What is the strength of the Pacific Island sides? And what sort of top level provincial comp do the Aussies have, if any? A SRA comp for the women would also be a good thing
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@Toddy said in 2022 Black Ferns:
Has there ever been any mention of the BF's playing a NZ male age grade team to up their experience? NZ netball play a male team to help with their prep, why can't the BF's play an under 18 (or older or younger to help get the intensity right) male team to help with their prep?
Never going to happen in a full contact sport.
