Another bite of the cherry - WXV will ignite epic New Zealand vs England rivalry once again

Sports writers and indeed sports fans love a good list. The best this, the worst that, records, times, streaks and any other miscellany you can think of are lapped up in forums, radio phone-ins and praised by the content engagement gods.

The next time the inevitable list of “greatest rugby games ever” is compiled one sure to feature is last year’s World Cup final at Eden Park between New Zealand and England. Not only will it be on that list, it also set a new benchmark for the greatest rivalry in the women’s game and if the rematch at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland in the final round of WXV1 in November even comes close, consider yourself lucky to witness it.

For 80 of the most pulsating minutes ever seen, 14-player England and a New Zealand team that had been written off prior to the tournament went toe-to-toe with punch and counterpunch in front of a then-record crowd which at times felt as if it might combust with energy and excitement.

“That Final” as it will henceforth be known added to a rich tapestry of matches between the Black Ferns and England’s Red Roses. Both teams have had their moments over the years, periods where one side has dominated the other, but it’s New Zealand who has the superior record of the two. Of the 30 matches played between the sides, the Black Ferns have 19 wins to England’s 10, with one draw in 2011.

England’s 137-cap former front-rower Rochelle “Rocky” Clark says nothing compared to playing New Zealand.

“New Zealanders eat, breathe and sleep rugby and so the passions of both nations make for no better test. Although France comes close I‘d have loved to have played New Zealand every week.”

Despite the Black Ferns winning record, recently retired halfback Kendra Cocksedge actually lost more matches than she won against England. Of the 18 matches she had against the Roses Cocksedge won eight, lost nine and played in the draw.

“I remember the first time I played them I woke up the next day feeling like I was hit by a bus. They are the ultimate competitors and sometimes it got a bit niggly, and there were always a lot of mind games going in the lead-up and pre-matches.”

What could appear as a seemingly bland 8-all draw in Esher is in fact a significant indicator of how the rivalry has progressed. That series, and the one which followed in 2012, seems to mark the time when it shifted from one of Kiwi dominance to England showing themselves to be a true force, perhaps setting the tone for what has followed in the decade since.

Prior to the 2011 series, England had had just two wins in 13 attempts, the first a historic 22-17 victory at North Harbour Stadium which ended New Zealand’s ten-year, 20-match unbeaten run, and the second coming at Twickenham in 2009.

But everything changed in the 2011 series when England won the first test 10-0 and the second 21-7 before that third test stalemate. A year later, again on home soil, the Red Roses would sweep the Black Ferns in all three tests, handing New Zealand what was then their worst-ever losing streak.

Although the Ferns would regain the ascendancy the following year it was of course England who would surge to a famous Rugby World Cup victory during that four-year cycle, while New Zealand failed to make the semis at the showpiece event in France in 2014.

On a cold, misty, moody night in the middle of a New Zealand winter in 2017 England would again flex their muscles. In front of a building crowd prior to the match between the Maori All Blacks and British and Irish Lion in Rotorua, a hardened England team rumbled through the Black Ferns’ defences in brutal fashion.

It remains at the top of Clark’s list of favourite matches against the Kiwis.

“We just had the perfect game. We kicked in the right places, our forwards worked superbly and tore apart New Zealand’s set piece, and I remember looking around as the crowd got bigger by the minute and knew they didn’t have an answer for us that night.”

Cocksedge says matches like that were always a reminder of England’s world-class players.

“They are fit and physical and have some really athletic players,” she says. “In the past, they played a different style of footy compared to us but in recent years they have played good fast flowing rugby. Their wins came in tough patches for New Zealand but they were almost a wakeup call for us and New Zealand Rugby.”

What was a statement performance from the Roses ahead of their World Cup title defence in 2017 indeed became a rocket for the Ferns. If there’s one thing about this rivalry that stands out like a sore thumb it's World Cup finals and the Black Ferns’ complete superiority.

Despite England’s impressive performance in the lead-up, the 2017 decider in Belfast would go the same way as previous finals between the teams in 2002, 2006 and 2010. And then, someway, somehow the Black Ferns did it again in 2022.

“I have so many memories of playing England,” says Cocksedge “The 2010 World Cup final where we beat them in England is a stand out…it was the start of the rivalry for me even though I was on the bench and never got on in the final. But nothing beats the recent World Cup final on home turf after such a disappointing 2021 season.”

It beggars belief that the Black Ferns only played their 100th official test in November 2021 in a match where then England captain Sarah Hunter played her 127th, but if “that final” itself was a watershed moment for the women’s game, what happens now with WXV will set the platform for years to come. Three tiers and a consistent Test match schedule for 18 teams is a game changer for every nation.

“We’ve seen massive numbers at the World Cup, England’s 58,000 record crowd at Twickenham for the Six Nations game against France and we’re now getting the biggest stages and exposure for all nations,” says Clark. “There’s been massive momentum behind the football, cricket and Rugby World Cups and everything will keep growing…the game has changed.”

The game may have changed but the rivalry between the Ferns and Roses remains as fierce as ever.