Australia v New Zealand, Brisbane
To all you 34-year-old management consultants out there, here’s your role model!
Kate Henwood, who had never been part of a representative rugby squad till last February, finds herself vaulted into the Black Ferns’ side to face the Wallaroos in the first of two traditional cross-Tasman tests. Her two children will be watching from home.
The teams are shown below.
The Ferns’ selection tells us much about the state of the Kiwi game. They are slow to inform us that the Wallaroos have not beaten them once since the inaugural match in 1994. Allan Bunting could pick almost any 23 he liked and expect them to win at a canter.
That is not to denigrate the Aussies for one moment. They perform heroically against all the odds. Rugby Australia put all its eggs in the Sevens basket, knowing that an Olympic medal is the shortest route to desperately needed government backing. Every time the Wallaroos turn out in international competition, they gain huge admiration for achieving so much against the odds.
As for the Black Ferns:
Henwood’s advance to a black jersey is revealing. She came to the notice of the BF staff when she was brought into the Chiefs’ squad as injury cover for the Super Aupiki tournament. She played in every game, and convinced them of her quality.
Such is the lack of regular competitive rugby in NZ that performances in the Aupiki become significant beyond measure.
Bunting has chosen six debutants in the squad; that is another pointer to the lack of international competition the Ferns still suffer from. When he said: ‘It doesn’t really matter who we put out on the field’, it wasn’t meant to show disrespect to the opposition; he was simply stressing that every member of the squad would get their chance to wear the jersey in the coming tests. There are seven starters from the World Cup XV.
One crucial selection is the replacement for the now retired Kendra Cocksedge at No 9; Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu has found favour. She is just three years younger than the Fern’s most capped player.
This O’Reilly Cup match forms part of the qualifiers for the WXV. Nobody doubts that the Ferns will make the top tier. It’s just a pity that it’s taking so long to decide the final composition of WXV1. In the future we must hope for a better integrated approach to the annual tournament.
Wallaroos
Michaela Leonard was shocked as well as delighted to be offered the captaincy. Piper Duck, recently appointed to the post, sadly has to miss the match through injury. The squad is strengthened by the return of overseas based players, Kaitlan Leaney, Bella McKenzie and Emily Chancellor, who all profited from playing in the Premier 15s. McKenzie reveals the plight of Aussie players when she explains that her season at home is just ten weeks long.
Leonard was in no doubt about the profit she and the other two gained from their exposure to the Prem 15s, stressing the quality and detail of the coaching. The multiplicity of games could only help them in refining their skills.
And they can pass on their knowledge to their team-mates who are only too willing to learn.
There can be little doubt that Australia would rank among the very best sides in the world if 15s rugby had a higher profile.
Carys Dallinger, will be facing the nation of her birth in the pivotal position of No 10.
Teams:
Wallaroos: Faitala Moleka, Maya Stewart, Georgina Friedrichs, Cecilia Smith, Ivania Wong, Carys Dallinger, Layne Morgan, Grace Hamilton, Ashley Marsters, Kaitlan Leaney, Annabelle Codey, Michaela Leonard (captain), Eva Karpani, Tania Naden, Bree-Anna Cheatham.
Bench: Madison Schuck, Emily Robinson, Bridie O’Gorman, Sera Naiqama, Emily Chancellor, Jasmin Huriwai, Arabella McKenzie, Alana Elisaia
Black Ferns: Renee Holmes, Mererangi Paul, Amy du Plessis, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai’i (Sylvia) Brunt, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ruahei Demant (co-captain), Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, Kennedy Simon (co-captain), Alana Bremner, Chelsea Bremner, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Tanya Kalounivale, Georgia Ponsonby, Kate Henwood.
Bench: Luka Connor, Krystal Murray, Amy Rule, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Kendra Reynolds, Iritana Hohaia, Rosie Kelly, Tenika Willison
Details:
Kayo Stadium, Brisbane, Thursday 29 June
