Hansen forced to draft in two players ahead of ‘pressure’ Wallaroos clash

Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen has been forced to draft in two Black Ferns XV players ahead of their clash with the Wallaroos at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Black Ferns, who beat the Black Ferns XV 62-19 in Upper Hutt last Friday, will take on Australia in Auckland on Saturday to kick-start a busy international period for Hansen’s side.

The Wallaroos will head into the contest without their newly appointed head coach, as Sione Fukofuka is only taking the reins from January 2027.

But for Hansen and the Black Ferns, the original squad has changed following the trial match, with both Tara Turner and Mo’omo’oga Palu picking up injuries that have made them unavailable for the weekend.

Palu, the Matatu prop, picked up a concussion, while Blues halfback Turner sustained a hamstring injury.

Hansen has called in two capped Black Ferns, halfback Ariana Bayle and tighthead prop Pip Love, to cover for the two injuries.

“They’re just in for this week,” Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen confirmed to media.

“It’s great to have the experience of previous Black Ferns who are in this space to come back in and give back. And I think, both having outstanding performances in [Super Rugby], Aupiki, [they’re] well deserved for being in here.

“We talked about people being good enough to be here that weren’t initially, and they’re two that very much are that.”

The head coach admits there’s always pressure when facing the Wallaroos, especially on home soil, but this week all of the pressure is on their own terms.

“I think for us, to be honest, the biggest pressure will always come from ourselves. We’ve got a really clear identity on how we want to play the game and a real emphasis and pressure and expectation we put on ourselves to perform that,” Hansen explained.

“That’ll always be far greater than any external measure or pressure or outcome.”

Following the Black Ferns’ clash with the Wallaroos, they will travel to South Africa to feature in a double-header with the All Blacks in Johannesburg on September 5.