The world champion Black Ferns will run on to Twickenham on Sunday morning for a Test against England with a familiar challenge – how to win enough ball and field position against a side in the Red Roses which will likely have a superior forward pack.
There will be other challenges – not least one involving preparation. England warmed up for this highly-anticipated clash with a 38-19 victory over France in Gloucester last weekend, whereas New Zealand’s last match was against Australia in Brisbane in July.
The Black Ferns ran in 10 tries during that demolition in Ballymore, with electric wing Katelyn Vaha’kolo scoring four of them.
The visitors may once again have an attacking edge against England but the beaten World Cup finalists at Eden Park two years ago are likely to be the more settled and potentially more motivated side in front of what will be a huge crowd.
The Red Roses comprehensively beat the Black Ferns 33-12 in a WXV match in Hamilton last November and confidence will be high under the new leadership of former All Blacks head coach John Mitchell.
“It’s always a spectacle against the English,” Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) told 1News.
“Last year’s WXV competition wasn’t the result we were looking for, but we’ve come away and taken the learnings and I’m just excited to see the girls go.
“We’ve got a mixture of youth and experience. Being back in the UK is exciting for us.”
The Black Ferns held out a fast-finishing England at a sold-out Eden Park in 2022 but will have to quickly get used to a very different atmosphere at the home of English rugby.
England will still have revenge on their mind, but other things besides, including winning over a nation ahead of hosting next year’s World Cup like the England football Lionesses did in taking out the Euros on home soil in 2022.
“The Lionesses inspired a nation and we’re on that journey now,” skipper Marlie Packer said, adding: “we want to play the best of the best and we’re certainly doing that.”
Tukuafo, who has recovered from an ankle injury which ruled her out of the big O’Reilly Cup win over the Wallaroos two months ago, said the Black Ferns had discussed the noise issue. “It’s different when you come into a stadium where you can’t hear each other.
“A few of us got to experience that in the World Cup final when Eden Park was sold out. It’s hard to hear, we’ve had to come up with innovative ways to pass on messages and make sure we’re all on the same page."
She added: “Every game that we go into there’s an expectation – internally, externally, from our nation. Ahead of the World Cup it’s going to be epic. It’s going to be a battle, a huge clash between two great teams.”
Tukuafo, who was married four days before the squad flew to the UK, welcomed the return of wing Ayesha Leti-I'iga from a knee injury.
“She’s done a lot of work to get herself back to be fighting fit. She hasn’t skipped a beat.”
New Zealand are ranked second in the world behind England, just ahead of Canada, who beat them in Christchurch in May.
The Black Ferns have played England three times at Twickenham and have never won there. The last time the two sides played there was in 2012.
New Zealand v England at Twickenham, kick-off 1.30am Sunday NZT.
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