LockerRoom

By Suzanne McFadden

Rain, rain, go away, Black Ferns fans will be singing, to help the home side blast past defence queens France, and into the Rugby World Cup final, Suzanne McFadden discovers.

As the rain hammered down on Sunday – remarkably for the first time in four weekends of this Rugby World Cup in Aotearoa – some of the game’s more experienced heads turned to the heavens and prayed it won’t return next weekend.

Not because they fear the fans might stay away from Eden Park for Saturday’s semifinals if the weather is inclement – not a chance (a record 85,000 have been to watch so far). It certainly didn’t scare off those who filled the Waitākere Stadium grandstand for two quarterfinals yesterday that didn’t even involve the home side.

It’s more that the French ‘Les Bleues’ - with their almost impenetrable defence and organised, structured attack - might have the upperhand in wet weather over the Black Ferns, who’ve made it this far with their free-flowing, fast-paced, ‘chaotic’ style of game.

When LockerRoom asked rugby greats in the Waitākere stand what the Black Ferns would need to do to beat the French, and go through to defend their world title, all agreed the New Zealand forward pack must continue building on the marked improvement they made – especially through their set pieces and physicality – in their 55-3 victory over Wales in Whangārei on Saturday night.

From a platform set up by the forwards, they can then unleash the magic from their backline. In particular, arguably the most explosive back three of this World Cup - Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Ruby Tui and Portia Woodman (now wearing the crown of the leading World Cup tryscorer of all time).

A dry track on Saturday will definitely play in the Black Ferns’ favour; precipitation could help France make Rugby World Cup history and their first final.

Three former stars of the game – Anna Richards, Paula George and Eroni Clarke - share their recipes for Black Ferns’ success:

Portia Woodman during the Black Ferns' 55-3 win over Wales. Photo / Photosport

Anna Richards

A four-time World Cup-winning Black Fern, now Auckland Storm back coach, Richards reckons New Zealand will need parity in the set piece if they’re to out-fox the French. “We’ll need a good launching pad from our scrums and lineouts to win,” she says.

What we tend to forget, she says, is the New Zealand forward pack who started in the quarterfinal are relatively young: “They don’t have a lot of experience, other than Gossie.” That’s No.7 Sarah Hirini, who’s played over 200 XV and sevens internationals.

Even Ferns co-captain Kennedy Simon - who made a dynamic first World Cup appearance on the weekend, finally recovered from her calf injury – has played just 10 tests.

Richards was impressed with the Black Ferns’ intent against the Welsh (the second game straight New Zealand kept their opponents try-less). But she wasn’t so enamoured with the French quarterfinal performance against Italy in Whangārei – a dour 39-3 victory where they went an hour without scoring (much credit, though, goes to the fierce Azzurri defence).

“I thought the French played within themselves, like they were going through the motions. That’s really not like France,” Richards says.

“With the Black Ferns, there was more speed of play, more spark, more physicality. We played with more endeavour and that’s what we’ve got to do against France. But things have got to stick: if we play in weather like this next week, I think we have to be more pragmatic about how we throw the ball around.

“In the wet, you have to hold on to the ball, play a relatively short game, and a good kicking game.”

It concerns Richards the Black Ferns haven’t really kicked for territory a lot in this tournament; instead they’ve used successful cross-field kick passes into their wings’ hands, and kicking through to regather.

Kicking for points will also be key in these final World Cup stages. First-five and co-captain Ruahei Demant - who again led by outstanding example creating play in the field - also had great success nailing five of her seven conversion kicks on Saturday, most from wide angles. Until this game, she’d had success with less than half her attempts.

“I know Lou [Demant] strikes the ball really well. She’s a confidence kicker so I was really glad to see her kick so well,” Richards says.

She pointed out the penalty goal kicking success rate at this tournament has increased to 78 percent accuracy – up 18 percent from the last World Cup in 2017. “It shows you how important it is now for us to get every point available, especially in the knockout stages.”

A French player the Black Ferns should be wary of, Richards says, is experienced French lock Safi N’Diaye, who came off the bench against Italy and “made a real momentum shift” – strong in the breakdown and setting up sevens star Joanna Grisez for her third try of the match.

France's Safi N'Diaye in action against Italy. Photo / Photosport

Eroni Clarke

The former All Black now Pasifika engagement manager at New Zealand Rugby, Clarke has loved watching the culture of the Black Ferns evolve at this tournament.

“What I’m really enjoying watching is the way they’re approaching their rugby with spirit and enjoying it. But they’re still willing to do the hard work to create those joyful moments,” he says.

Clarke sees the work of the tight five being critical to ongoing Black Ferns’ joy. And after being told to “mongrel up” at training last week, they really fronted against the Welsh.

Anchored by the all-Canterbury front row of Pip Love, Georgia Ponsonby and Amy Rule, they won all their scrums (and almost half of Wales’) and disrupted Welsh line-outs – two things they hadn’t managed in their last confrontation in pool play. (As Simon says: “We just made sure that when we came together in the scrum, it was killer mentality.”)

Even the Black Ferns’ sparkplugs – their players off the bench – continued the momentum: hooker Luka Connor won a scrum as soon as she came on, then scored two rollicking tries.

“All the teams who are through to the semis have strong forward packs. But we also have the firepower in the backs to take some pressure off the forwards,” Clarke says.

“We have to ensure we do that against France: the forwards tying them up up front, winning the ball and getting good momentum and then releasing Ayesha, Portia and Ruby. That will be really dangerous.”

As a midfielder, Clarke was full of praise for second-five Theresa Fitzpatrick, who won her second straight MVP award on Saturday. “She had a wonderful game with her passing and linking in – and that’s what you want from your midfield, to release those attacking back three.”

He’s also worried about the weather, after watching the English decimate Australia, 41-5, in miserable conditions to go through to the other semifinal against Canada (32-16 victors over a feisty USA).

“Watching England play like that – to control the ball as well as they did – something in the back of my mind is saying ‘I hope it’s not raining on the day we meet them’.”

Theresa Fitzpatrick in action against Wales. Photo / Photosport

Paula George

‘Georgie’, who captained the English Red Roses in the 2002 World Cup final against the Black Ferns (but who’s now a bone fide Kiwi), says the question of how the Black Ferns will defeat France is no doubt one that Black Ferns coach, Wayne Smith, will be troubled by.

“France’s defence is quite phenomenal,” says George. “But to be fair the Black Ferns in the second half on Saturday were quite phenomenal too, weren’t they?

“I think if the Black Ferns can break up and play very loose, open field rugby, and stay away from the set piece, then they could be something special. I would make it as disorganised as possible.

“You think about the second half, how many scrums were there? It was clearly a game plan the Black Ferns were very good at.”

Veteran halfback Kendra Cocksedge tends to agree – about the chaotic part anyway. With just two more games remaining in her 15-year test career, she’s confident the Black Ferns can retain the World Cup with their “really good brand of footie.

“It’s fast-paced, it’s causing chaos… we don’t have anything too structured. We’re just playing the game and enjoying ourselves.” And it’s such a quantum leap forward from when the Black Ferns lost heavily, twice, to France on their northern tour this time last year (the Ferns actually haven’t beaten France in four years).

This could be the clash of the tournament so far – the game George, at least, has been looking forward to most.

“France haven’t scored many tries, but their defence is world-class. If they can lock the Black Ferns down and pull them into a very structured game, they could take it,” she says. It would be the first time France have ever made a Rugby World Cup final – semifinalists eight times, third-placed five times.

“But I would dearly love to see the Black Ferns in the final. Just for the World Cup being played here for the first time, and hopefully for me, they’ll be facing England,” says George, who sat in the stand yesterday, surrounded by five other past Red Roses captains, and some very confident England supporters.

This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.