Tournament favourites England have sent a warning to the Black Ferns and the rest of the Rugby World Cup teams, saying their forwards – who dominated New Zealand last year – are only getting better.
England forwards coach Louis Deacon said the pack, who helped the Red Roses take down the Black Ferns 43-12 and 56-15 on last year’s rough end-of-year tour for the Kiwis, are in fine form for this year’s tournament.
“I’d like to think considerably better,” Deacon said comparing the forward pack of this year to 2021.
“We're quite blessed we’ve got exceptional set piece forwards.”
They’ll need to be at their best for this weekend’s heavyweight clash with fellow tournament giants France but the side is feeling at home in Aotearoa with the UK-esque rain “as bad as being in London”.
The peculiar home comfort has helped create a relaxed but focussed vibe in the England camp; a side that is comfortable and confident in what it’s doing which is unsurprising given their 84-19 rout of Fiji to open this year’s World Cup campaign extended their record winning streak to 26 Tests.
A key figure in that success is Feilding High School's own Amy Cokayne who spent the better part of a decade growing up in New Zealand before a fateful coffee date saw her become one of England’s best.
Cokayne conceded the move may have been career-defining for another reason though.
“When I was 10, I played under-10s for Aston Villa, I was actually the goalkeeper,” Cokayne recalled.
“Probably a good job we moved over to New Zealand because I don’t think I’d be much of a goalkeeper now – I’m like, five-foot-five.”
Though the Aston Villa connection will be with the hooker forever - literally.
“[My full name is] Amy Victoria Fiona Cokayne – AVFC,” she explained.
“My dad is a massive Aston Villa Football Club fan so when I was born he was like, ‘that’s it, you’re getting the initials’.
“I think he had to fight my mum for it a bit because she’s not a Villa fan, she’s a West Ham fan.”
One thing her parents agree on is that they’re England rugby fans though who'll be hoping their daughter and the side can produce more impressive efforts in New Zealand.
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