Inside the final minute of the Black Ferns’ win over the Wallaroos in Hamilton, lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos gave everyone plenty to think about. 

Getting the ball from a quick tap on the Wallaroos’ 22m with space outside her, Roos put up a cross-field chip kick for Layla Sae to run on to. 

The move didn’t quite come off, but it was exactly the kind of ingenuity Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting wants his players to feel comfortable exploring. 

“I talked to her afterwards, and she goes, ‘I don’t know what happened, I just did it’, and I said, ‘That’s instinct’,” Bunting said of the play. “It was the right decision - it was pinpoint, the option was on. You don’t have to have a 10 on your back to kick. 

“We can try to tell them what’s coming, but they’ve got to able to see it and make quick decisions and really have the courage to back themselves.” 

When Sir Wayne Smith took over at the helm of the women’s national rugby team in 2022, he encouraged his side to play with freedom. That principle has been continued under Bunting’s reign, and was on show in their 43-3 win over the Australians on Saturday. 

The Black Ferns ran in five first-half tries to race out to a comfortable lead with the win at their backs, testing the Wallaroos with their willingness to move the ball and their ability to offload in the tackle. That showed in the metres gained, with Sky Sport statistics showing the Black Ferns ran 547m, compared to just 71 for the Wallaroos. 

However, as is a result of a team happy to move the ball, turnovers were a real issue for the New Zealand side, committing 28 in the game. 

But having not played a test since mid-July, it was a solid start for the reigning world champions as they turn their attention to the WXV 1 tournament on home soil this month, which will see them meet France, Wales and England. 

“It’s only been two weeks, really, so our team has come together pretty quickly and put quite a bit of that stuff out on the field,” Bunting said. 

“I’m really impressed and really proud of the intent. There were some errors out there, but we were trying. The ladies will start seeing one more pass and one more ruck and stuff like that, so I’m really happy with where we’re at now and what’s ahead.” 

“We know what’s coming next, so we’re really looking forward to that challenge. I’ve been really impressed with these ladies. They’re definitely not going to back down. They’re going to stand up and front that.”