Weight of expectation is a heavy burden to carry for the Red Roses
It must be a terribly uncomfortable thought gnawing away in the back of the minds of the Red Roses, as much as they try to suppress it, it will be there.
The stomach-churning thought that their long-running winning streak will come to a grinding halt at the most unwanted time, on the turf at Eden Park this week.
It’s a mental hurdle even for neutrals to digest that this team could go without the crown jewel. Surely the unthinkable can’t happen, the winning run ending cruelly on 30 wins in the game England want most.
But history has proven time and time again, the best team doesn’t always win the title. Tournament play allows for anomalies, curveballs and ‘unfair’ outcomes.
We’ve heard how England deserve this one, for leading the game in the right direction and for how hard they’ve all worked.
Are they now entitled to walk away with the World Cup? If so, hand it to them now. If it is to be decided on the rugby, let’s wait and see.
The Ferns want to play a brand of rugby that excites crowds, gets people interested and gets youngsters to pick up a rugby ball. Is that not taking the game forward, by inspiring the next generation?
Where are the kids that want to roll a maul down and flop over the line like Amy Cokayne? There are many different ways to take the game forward and not all of them involve pay cheques.
No doubt England can play if they want to, they have the talent, but the fact that they have opted for conservative play for large stages of pool play perhaps shows they have missed an opportunity to become the rock stars of the World Cup.
It is the time to shine, take the stage and show the world what you’ve got, bring in the neutrals and turn them into rugby fans. In that respect, the Ferns have been the team to watch, not England.
The Red Roses, who supposedly have all the tools, have decided to leave most of them in the toolbox for the most part in the early stages of the competition.
We’ve seen flashes of England playing expansive, when the game was out of reach for South Africa they turned it on and ran it out of their exit zone with a safe cushion of 40-points after half a dozen pushover tries.
The starts have been slow, with the rolling maul relied upon heavily to kickstart the motor into gear.
It took an age to get going against Fijiana, who themselves put three tries together in a game where England eventually flicked the switch to put 60 points on them in the second half.
Their toughest test in the pools against France was not a test defensively for the Roses. The French barely had the ball, forced to tackle themselves to a standstill with over 200 of them. England battered them with carry after carry.
The torrential rain against the Wallaroos didn’t allow for an attacking spectacle and England typically bulldozed their way to a healthy scoreline.
Abby Dow’s all-time try against Canada in the semi-final showed what we have been missing with one of the greatest length of the field tries ever.
England possess the ability to play any way they want to, we just haven’t seen as much ball movement as everyone would like.
On the other side, the Red Roses’ weaknesses have not been put under the blowtorch just yet. They have they have leaked tries on the fringes when teams have dared to go there, which is not often.
That will bring some optimism to the Black Ferns coaching staff, who possess the most potent outside backs at this tournament with Portia Woodman and Ruby Tui in blistering form.
The disastrous end of year tour couldn’t be further in the rear view mirror as super coaches Wayne Smith, Graham Henry and Mike Cron have transformed the team back into an attacking powerhouse.
It is the hosts who are playing with the most speed at this World Cup. It’s not so much the winning as it is rediscovering the way of rugby that is most enjoyable to play that has been a hallmark of the turnaround.
They want to cause chaos, live outside the box, create free form attack and take risk. They play with freedom and expression, the opposite of England who are playing to win, methodically restricted by choice and strategy.
Yet the Ferns do not carry the burden of expectations, despite hosting the World Cup and possessing a history of success at the tournament with five previous titles.
The weight of expectation is carried by England, fully professional for the longest, riding a long winning-streak, with the most complete squad and resources who “have to win”.
Picture this, 50,000 Kiwis surrounding the tournament favourites at Eden Park, the home of New Zealand Rugby, ignited into a frenzy by a stirring Black Ferns haka.
No doubt this is a double-edged sword that could derail the Ferns as well, over-awed and starstruck by the moment, but tell us this isn’t a recipe for a classic English bottle job.
Don’t the Roses have a history of losing to the Black Ferns in World Cup finals?
Three years of full professionalism will come down to just 80-minutes. The marathon becomes a sprint and while the Red Roses have been reliable over the long-haul, you do not want to race a Ferrari over a short distance.
If the Roses engine takes too long to fire up, it could be like watching a car crash in slow motion. Irresistible to watch, but painfully cruel as the winning streak comes to a dreadful end.
Tens of thousands of Kiwis will turn out to see this great England side in action, and they’ve been promised a treat. That they will beat the Ferns in their own backyard.
Let’s see it then. Come on England, come on.
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 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.
9 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.
36 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.
2 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
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 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
36 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.
36 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.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments