Black Ferns out to prove a point as Whitney Hansen demands greater ruthlessness

The clock was in the red, the score was level at 19-19 and the Black Ferns had possession. Then, in a split second, it was all over.

The Red Roses’ Zoe Harrison popped up, intercepted Amy du Plessis’ pass and raced over the try line to snatch a 26-19 victory in front of 59,871 supporters at Allianz Stadium in their September WXV Global Series clash.

Now, back on home soil for three Tests against France, New Zealand will be looking to turn those lessons into action and show head coach Whitney Hansen just how good they can be when everything clicks.

Her side kicked off their campaign with a 28-14 win against Les Bleues in Lyon, overpowered Scotland 66-14 at Hive Stadium and then fell agonisingly short against the world champions England before the break.

“Great teams are clinical and we leave things out there,” Hansen said ahead of the Black Ferns’ home series opener in Hamilton.

“There’s not too much that we’re going to see that’s going to be new about our rugby in the next three weeks, but it is an opportunity to be able to be up against another team in the top four and really test our ability to finish the moments that matter.

“We always knew going away on that end-of-year tour overseas was going to give us different competition to play against, different tests, different challenges, and was going to give us a bit of a line in the sand as to where we’re at and where we need to be better.”

The 39-year-old head coach added, “I’m really excited about what Black Ferns rugby looks like when we get it right and there’s still a bit to work on.”

Whilst New Zealand have already beaten France once during the WXV Global Series, Hansen knows that victory in Lyon will count for little when the two sides meet again at home.

As the visitors arrive after beating Australia 29-26 and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 finalists Canada 21-5, she expects them to bring a tougher challenge after learning from their opening encounter.

“I think it would be naive to think that that will be enough again,” she said.

“That was their first game in their series, and we’ve seen them get better and better every week from there.

“I wouldn’t ever question the French passion. Regardless, win or lose, they’re out there to compete. They love their sport, they love their country, and they’re a great team.”

The home leg of the WXV Global Series will also help the head coach to determine what her strongest Black Ferns lineup look like, with fierce competition for places keeping selection decisions firmly open.

The battle for spots has become so intense that the meeting to select the side for the England Test lasted an hour and a half.

Hansen explained, “I don’t think every position is sewn up. We’ve got so much competition in those spaces and that needs to be tested too.”

“We also need to make sure we’re growing depth in those positions and we’re giving that exposure and experience to a wider [group] than just 23.”

So, who will earn the chance to wear the black jersey as the WXV Global Series continues? With places still up for grabs and France standing in their way, the Black Ferns have plenty to prove over the coming weeks.

They return to action against France on Saturday 17 October at FMG Stadium in Hamilton.