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Black Ferns team named for Rugby World Cup opener
By Sam Smith
The Black Ferns team to play in their opening match of Rugby World Cup 2021, in front of a record-breaking crowd, has been named.
The match is the third in a triple-header opening day at Eden Park, kicking off at 7.15pm on Saturday evening.
The long wait to kick off for Rugby World Cup is almost over for the Black Ferns, with the team preparing to play in front of the biggest crowd ever seen for a women’s sporting match in New Zealand.
“We don’t want the pressure of the crowd to change anything for our team. We have to be free, play with joy, go out there and love what we are doing,” said Director of Coaching Wayne Smith.
With build up going smoothly, Smith said the coaching group are not set on what their best team looks like at the moment and have made a few tweaks to the match-day 23 for this weekend.
Amy du Plessis will start at second five-eighths for the first time and links with Stacey Fluhler in the midfield, while loose forwards Charmaine McMenamin and Liana Mikaele-Tu’u swap positions from the Test against Japan, playing blindside flanker and number 8 respectively.
“We have a lot of players that have the ability to fill starting positions, so we need to give opportunities and see who takes them. We’ve wanted to look at Amy at second five for a while and Stacey comes into centre where she is world class.
“Liana and Charmaine are an exciting combo, Liana is an explosive athlete who is really good in the line out so wanted to see her at eight,” said Smith.
On what to expect from his side this weekend, Smith said the Australian team will present a challenge and that the Black Ferns will be focusing their energy on what they can control.
“I’ve talked a lot about wanting to reflect the DNA of our country; we always play attacking rugby. That’s what I want us to show on the field and if we do, it’ll be exciting.
“This weekend is a real opportunity for us, with a big crowd there, to show what we can do.”
Saturday will be the third time the Black Ferns have played Australia at a Rugby World Cup, with previous encounters in 2002 (a 36-3 win) and 2010 (a 32-5 win). The teams have met three times in 2022, with matches already in Tauranga, Christchurch and Adelaide.
17 Black Ferns will be making their Rugby World Cup debut.
Black Ferns team to face Australia:
1. Phillipa Love (20 caps)
2. Luka Connor (9)
3. Amy Rule (7)
4. Joanah Ngan-Woo (11)
5. Chelsea Bremner (6)
6. Charmaine McMenamin (28)
7. Sarah Hirini (11)
8. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u (7)
9. Kendra Cocksedge (62)
10. Ruahei Demant (21) - captain
11. Portia Woodman (20)
12. Amy du Plessis (4)
13. Stacey Fluhler (21)
14. Ruby Tui (5)
15. Renee Holmes (5)
16. Georgia Ponsonby (7)
17. Awhina Tangen-Wainohu (2)
18. Santo Taumata (2)
19. Maiakawanakaulani Roos (8)
20. Kendra Reynolds (6)
21. Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu (10)
22. Hazel Tubic (17)
23. Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai’i Sylvia Brunt (4)
Unavailable due to injury: Alana Bremner, Tanya Kalounivale, Ayesha Leti-I’iga and Kennedy Simon.
-Press Release/NZR
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Latest Comments
ALB has had many a start in big matches for ABs and has never put his stamp on the game Tupaea got the start in 22 against Ireland before injured and he struggled a tad too neither had outstanding SR seasons one thing Jordie an Reiko ain’t leaking breaks and tries at all in multiple big games
Go to commentsI’ll see how Aus go against Scotland and Ireland!
They have beaten the worst Welsh side ever and pipped England in OT
They do look attractive to watch I admit but got smashed by the Welsh scrum last week
Look at the areas of focus for Razor and Ryan
Huge player development in the ABs and ABs XV
One might argue that the only scrum more dominant is the Boks? And that wasn’t clear in SA until the bomb squad came on
The bench has been somewhat rectified since then
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