Allan Bunting has announced the names of 33 players to form the squads to play their last two home matches before the RWC.
The squad:
(I offer them as originally shown, though the rest of the world isn’t as bright at arithmetic. For us two halves are needed to make a whole, and two five-eighths test our command of fractions beyond breaking point.)
Loose-head props:
Chryss Viliko, Kate Henwood, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu
Hookers:
Georgia Ponsonby, Atlanta Lolohea, Vici-Rose Green
Tight-head Props:
Tanya Kalounivale, Amy Rule, Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu
Locks:
Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Alana Bremner, Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu, Chelsea Bremner, Laura Bayfield
Loose Forwards:
Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Layla Sae, Jorja Miller, Mia Anderson
Halfbacks:
Maia Joseph, Iritana Hohaia
First fives:
Ruahei Demant, Hannah King, Kelly Brazier
Midfield:
Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt, Amy du Plessis, Stacey Waaka, Theresa Setefano,
Outside backs:
Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ayesha Leti-I’iga, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Renee Holmes, Braxton Sorensen-McGee
A list of injured players is added: Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Kennedy Tukuafu, Mererangi Paul, Ariana Bayler and Alena Saili. Of them the first four are almost certain additions, once recovered.
A reminder: the two matches are against a Black Ferns XV and Australia (the return game of the Laurie O’Reilly Cup series). They do not involve the tour to South Africa, also labelled for a ‘Black Ferns XV’.
Given the complicted schedule awaiting the Ferns, it’s noteworthy that King, Hohaia and Bayfield are lined up to play for the Black Ferns XV against the full side in the first match of the sequence. That implies that Bunting is looking for as equal a contest as possible – not that they are fighting for their places (though that’s the unstated assumption).
The final selection for England is still a stage or two removed. But there are significant points of interest.
First, Bunting doesn’t take the simple path of picking 32, the permitted number for the RWC. Second, he includes two uncapped players, Laura Bayfield and Mia Anderson. When Bayfield is described as “a rising star in New Zealand Rugby“, we have to assume these words were plucked unedited from a report a few years ago. She is already 26, and returned to the game after maternity leave.
The sensitive question of age recurs here. Bunting has recalled Kelly Brazier at the age of 35 to strengthen his options at outside-half. She has been an outstanding figure for the Ferns, but her selection reveals a lack of younger competition in this key position.
The same might go for Kate Henwood at loose-head; she is a year older than Brazier, and without her starry CV.
Let’s return to the businees of numbers per position. There are only two scrum-halves listed. Either Bunting has a Kiwi equivalent of Claudia Macdonald lying in wait, or he is taking a risk. No. 9s rarely stay on the field for all 80 minutes. Who is to be the third option?
Two welcome names from 7s are Portia Woodman-Wickcliffe and Jorja Miller. Once they had stated their intention to try for a place, there was next to no doubt about their inclusion. Theresa Setefano, one better known as Fitzpatrick, is a third member of the outstanding 7s squad, but at the age of 30 she has had time to accumulate 19 caps in Fifteens.
Here we may judge that Bunting sets great store by the past records of these stars. But he points to the return of Brazier and Renee Holmes (in her case from injury) as adding to the Ferns’ kicking skills.
That is an indication of how NZ strategy has been affected by foreign influences. We will see how often the Ferns play the ball out of defence by hand. They tried it at Twickenham.
All of the 7s contingent bar Miller will join the backs (though Miller might yet find herself playing with a higher number on her jersey). The commonly held concern among Kiwi pundits has been the ability of the pack (and its benchers) to withstand the assaults of its leading rivals, Canada, England and France. The two coming games won’t reveal a great deal, unless the Wallaroos pack comes out on top in Wellington. That would be a first.
