If Black Ferns skipper Ruahei Demant wanted to send a message to her team, as well as their World Cup semifinal opponents France, via her answers in today’s press conference that nothing but total commitment will be sufficient at Eden Park on Saturday, she probably succeeded.
It appears everyone has been put on notice: The Black Ferns regarding their captain’s expectations, France that indeed, yes, they should be worried about the sudden death match no matter New Zealand’s recent record against them (four consecutive defeats), and the public that brewing in the host nation’s inner city hotel is a game plan almost guaranteed to excite.
How will the Black Ferns combat the increasingly famous French defence? By a relentless attack that will eventually overwhelm the opposition, apparently.
Here is Demant’s answer to her first question about what had changed following the Black Ferns’ last Test against France at the end of a miserable 2021 for the team when they lost four Tests to England and the French, and, eventually, head coach Glenn Moore.
“I don’t even know where to start because so much has changed,” she said. “We are a completely different team. Our attack and defensive philosophies are completely different. There’s not much we can take away from when we played them last year.
“But what we do know is that they’re a quality side. They defend with heart and the game plan that we’ve designed to combat them this weekend will be a very exciting brand of rugby to watch.”
In scoring bonus point victories in all four of their Tests at this World Cup, including a 55-3 win in last Saturday’s quarter-final against Wales in Whangārei, the Black Ferns have taken head coach Wayne Smith’s desire to play with attacking ambition to heart.
That they are promising more of the same against France is probably on-brand, but ahead of such an important sudden-death match it also feels a little… bold.
Demant seems happy with that.
“We probably will do [attack at every opportunity] because it’s a semifinal,” she said. “The way I play, if I lose I want to make sure I’ve done everything I can and I know that’s the way my teammates play… it’s going to be exciting, it will be similar to what everyone’s seen.”
She added: “We’ve evolved in many ways but probably the biggest is the mindset we have when we have ball in hand. It doesn’t matter what part of the field we’re on or whether we’ve absorbed a lot of defence. We want to try to get seven points or five points out of any opportunity we get.
“To do that takes courage. Not every team does that. I think it’s quite easy to get into the traditional mindset of ‘you need territory, you need possession to win a game of footy’ and you do but not all the time. You just need the ball, that’s it.”
She was asked, should France be worried?
“I think they should be worried,” was her reply.
The crux of it rests on whether the pack can supply a backline brimming with special attacking weapons such as Ruby Tui, Portia Woodman, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Stacey Fluhler, Ayesha Leti-I’iga and indeed Demant herself enough possession to stress and stretch the French.
There were enough set piece improvements against Wales to suggest they can, and that France - in front of a mainly hostile crowd - may eventually be overwhelmed by the Black Ferns’ energy and excitement, which just leaves a nagging question about their mental state.
They suffered from stage fright in their opener against the Wallaroos at Eden Park – giving up three tries and 17 points before responding with 41 of their own – but assistant coach Wes Clarke believes that lesson has been fully absorbed.
“I think it was the best thing for us, in hindsight,” Clarke said.
“It’s really helped us with our systems – how to stay calm and change things when we have to. How to deal with pressure.
“Remember, we’ve got players who have played four or five Tests at that stage. They’re up to nine now – a bit more battle hardened, a lot more trainings. We’re semi professional, so players come from different hubs. We’ve been together for a while now so I’m expecting us to handle that really well to be honest.”
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