More changes.

Black Ferns halfback Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu will lead the Black Ferns in their final pool match of the Rugby World Cup when they face Scotland at the Northland Events Centre in Whangārei on Saturday (kick off 4.45pm).
Coaches have again made a raft of changes to the match-day 23 as all members of the squad get game time in the pool phases of the competition.

The Black Ferns team is:

1 Phillipa Love (21)
2 Georgia Ponsonby (9)
3 Amy Rule (8)
4 Joanah Ngan-Woo (13)
5 Maiakawanakaulani Roos (10)
6 Alana Bremner (9)
7 Sarah Hirini (13)
8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u (8)
9 Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu (11) – captain
10 Hazel Tubic (19)
11 Ayesha Leti-I’iga (17)
12 Theresa Fitzpatrick (14)
13 Amy du Plessis (6)
14 Renee Wickliffe (46)
15 Renee Holmes (6)

16 Natalie Delamare (2)
17 Krystal Murray (5)
18 Tanya Kalounivale (5)
19 Chelsea Bremner (8)
20 Kendra Reynolds (8)
21 Kendra Cocksedge (64)
22 Sylvia Brunt (6)
23 Ruahei Demant (23)

Unavailable due to injury: Stacey Fluhler and Kennedy Simon

Hmmm no room for Ruby Tui or Woodman then. Not sold on Wickliffe. Didn't know Fluhler was injured. Surprised to see Tubic at 10.

@Jailbreak7 Smith is giving each squad player a chance to play. Tubic gets her first start and Delamare is in the 23. Leti-I’iga is back from injury.

I am assuming Fluhler is being rested as a precaution. Hopefully Simon is ready to go next week, likely from the bench.

@Jailbreak7 said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

Hmmm no room for Ruby Tui or Woodman then. Not sold on Wickliffe. Didn't know Fluhler was injured. Surprised to see Tubic at 10.

Was going to say all of the above.

And add, so bloody good to see Ayesha making her first appearance in the Cup.

Quite a strange team

• the starting front row from game 1
• Second row a mix from the first 2 matches with Chelsea Bremner getting a rest
• Loosies completely mixed up from the first 2 matches, clearly Smith not settled on his best lose forward combination
• 3rd halfback used in 3 games
• Tubic's first start
• Centre pairing are the 12's used from the first 2 matches with du Plesis moved from 12 to 13 (both are known quantities, would have like to see the youngster get another match as I thought she was very good against Wales)
• Back 3 without any of the 7's girls. Renee Holmes get's a chance to impress after a shocking opening match against Aus.

Hope that as @Bovidae says, Fluhler is being rested as a precaution as she is a must at 13 for the knock out rounds.

A fair bit of combination testing in there as well.
Roos with Ngan Woo
The loosies.

Kalounivale gets a redemption opportunity as does Holmes.
AMT and Tubic should have a ready made combo so this is possibly a bench/backup test.

Wickliffe is a communicator and brings experience. Possibly there to take some heat off Holmes to get her started again and regain confidence.
One very weak point we have is kicking. Both from hand and off the tee I cringe whenever Demant has the ball. Tubic and Holmes are probably our better options but neither seem to be starters at the moment.
I can see an option of one of them starting in big games to have that kicking option early on.

The Black Fern starting teams (baring last minute injuries before Scotland) for the pool matches:

Scotland for a historic win.

Same thing next month for the men too. This is their year.

What a great crowd.

@KiwiMurph is a shame so many seats in the main stand are empty, when I looked yesterday, there were no doubles available, only single spots...must be those tour group blocks and/or sponsor seats...just walk around town giving them away FFS

Looks like the biggest crowd since the lions.

And Ayesha passed the ball, yay!

@Machpants said in Womens RWC 2021 -NZ to host:

And Ayesha passed the ball, yay!

That was a lovely draw and pass. Some ABs could learn a thing or two...

A good start.

This halfback looks better than Cocksedge

@Machpants yep, and probably the biggest since that game in 2006 I think when we played BOP when nzr were looking to drop us and Ta$man, that was last time we had >15k there

@Machpants @KiwiMurph I've just noticed there's a match thread...

@KiwiMurph better distribution

backline going great guns early.

@MN5 said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

Scotland for a historic win.

Same thing next month for the men too. This is their year.

Ok

Did Scotland leave their water bottles just sitting in the middle of the in goal? Both dangerous and ominous.

BF playing pretty scrappy

can see some of the little touches that Smith has bought to the team

But that was nice

Combinations and connections starting to click for the ferns , like the little bits of off the ball running which has created the overlap .
Playing right on the advantage line , hard to defend especially when the ball is quick

@Machpants said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

But that was nice

I like how the ref was awarding the try before she'd even put it down.

Smith might have to make some tough decisions in the backline.

Scotland just choosing to ignore the laws and go hell for leather trying to disrupt the breakdown by any means possible. I can see a few yellow cards coming up.

@Bones said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

Scotland just choosing to ignore the laws and go hell for leather trying to disrupt the breakdown by any means possible. I can see a few yellow cards coming up.

Maybe not with the refs at this comp

@KiwiMurph said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

Smith might have to make some tough decisions in the backline.

I think we can dump the 15, she's far too chaotic and inaccurate

@Machpants Agreed.

Hah, Scotland set a maul beautifully, BFs shear off the wrong way and leave the maul with no one in front of it, but Scotland don't even realise because they're not pushing and are just going through the motions so it goes nowhere.

Who was that one handed jackal? Spectacular!

Time for the anti teams in black slow downs

Liking the look of Marino Tauhinu , offers more of a threat than Kendra

@Steven-Harris said in Black Ferns v Scotland RWC:

Liking the look of Marino Tauhinu , offers more of a threat than Kendra

It's a big difference.

wonderful try.

They're throwing the fifty fifties every time, hopefully they're a bit more circumspect against the big two. They need to treasure possession a bit more

Tubic is making a statement at 10.

I dunno which Renee we're dropping but a couple of lovely touches from both of them in the last 5.

The Scottish kicker has a massive boot

Not clear and obvious. Good call ref.

Common sense kinda says that's a forward pass, but it's not clear and obvious the direction of the hands on that evidence.