1
No.1 vs No.2: Will New Zealand suffer from lack of game time?
For the first time in over two years, the number one side in the world will meet the number two. The World Cup runners up will meet the World Cup champions. It’s a battle of northern hemisphere versus southern hemisphere and under a year out from the World Cup, it’s a match up rugby fans will be extremely excited to see and a contest the women’s international calendar needs.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s the big one. England v New Zealand, at Sandy Park this Sunday.
The Red Roses Autumn International series sees them take on the top six teams in the world over four weekends and first off they first face the Black Ferns in back-to-back matches, followed by Canada (3rd) and the USA (6th).
England have had the luxury of international Test competition in the albeit truncated Six Nations earlier this year and even in covid-ravaged 2020, whereas the Black Ferns haven’t played a Test in over two years since they won the Super Series in San Diego back in the summer of 2019. (That their male counterparts the All Blacks have played 17 Tests since the 2019 World Cup speaks volumes of the priorities of New Zealand Rugby).
In their last meeting in that competition, England slipped to their seventh defeat in eight against the formidable world champions, and this time on home soil, will be looking to make the most of fans in seats and send a warning signal of what people can expect to see from them at next year’s postponed World Cup.
2017 – 🇳🇿 21-29 🏴
2017 – 🇳🇿 41-32 🏴
2019 – 🏴 13-28 🇳🇿Who will come out on top in the 2021 edition?
Hear from @Lbthom1 ahead of the clash ⤵
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 27, 2021
Lydia Thompson, who in the 2017 World Cup final against New Zealand, scored one of the tournament’s best tries knows only too well the threats the Kiwis bring and despite England’s opposition not having played together in 27 months, the winger is still very wary of what they bring to the field.
“We’ve been really lucky to get our international game going (during Covid) and to have some good ruby behind us,” said the 47-times capped Red Rose.
“But we will be keen to challenge ourselves and that’s why playing New Zealand back to back is such a good opportunity for us. We know they are always going to be sharp whether they’ve played recently or not.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We know every single person who pulls on the Black Ferns jersey has an incredible skill set and it’s awesome to have this opportunity to see where we stand with them.
“It’s going to be an exploratory game for us. They have a lovely offload, running game and physical game and they have world class players in their back line who have a fantastic kicking and stepping game.
“They bring the whole package and they’ll exploit us if we leave a space or gap, they read the game really well and are intuitive. They’ll be tough.”
England Head Coach Simon Middleton named a 40-player training squad ahead of the Autumns including 11 uncapped players. One of those, who is on the bench on Sunday, is 20-year-old Maud Muir who has been in storming form in the Premier 15s this season for Wasps Women.
ADVERTISEMENT
Middleton has openly said the versatile front row has the potential to go to the World Cup and needs the opportunity to prove herself. Could this weekend against the World champions be her chance?
Middleton said: “Does Maud making her debut against New Zealand make me nervous? No. Just look at who’s she’s playing with in the Premier 15s.”
Good point.
The Wasps front row said: “I’m going to take every day and training session as it comes and yes, I want to be in that World Cup squad but first I need to get my first cap and work hard in training and focus on myself.
“All the players in the front row are so easy to talk to especially Sarah Bern who’s been helping me with lineouts and scrums at the minute. It’s competitive and we all thrive off each other. These next four games we’re playing some of the best teams in the world and it’s important for our development.”
With names like Portia Woodman, Kelly Brazier and Stacey Fluhler in the New Zealand squad, only months after winning sevens gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and World Cup winners such as Kendra Cocksedge, the Red Roses will be facing stiff competition in Exeter this weekend, which it has to be said isn’t always the case in the Six Nations since England turned professional.
England have won the last three Six Nations titles with only their games against France providing entertainment for the neutral. The women’s international game needs tight games and with New Zealand boasting an overwhelmingly strong record against the English, this game promises to fulfil this in spades.
What we see on Sunday will be indicative of the standard of rugby we can expect from the world’s two best sides at next year’s World Cup and with the original 2021 tournament postponed, it will provide a welcome stopgap and no doubt some thrilling and competitive rugby before the main event in 12 months’ time.
England Women v New Zealand Women
Sunday 31st Nov, Sandy Park, Exeter
BBC Two: Kick-off 14:30
Our #RedRoses line-up to face New Zealand.
The match will be live on @BBCTwo on Sunday, KO 14:30.
@O2sports | #WearTheRose | #ENGvNZL
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) October 29, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
In the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
5 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
6 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
5 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
6 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
6 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to comments