I'm still puzzled why the wrong Bremner sister continues to be selected at lock.
Other stats of interest:
New Zealand has eight players in their starting XV that started the previous Test against England. There are 11 players in England’s starting XV that started for England in their November 33-12 win against the Black Ferns in Auckland last year.
This is the first of two tests against England. We'll see how improved the BFs are from last year.
@Bovidae said in Black Ferns V England:
I'm still puzzled why the wrong Bremner sister continues to be selected at lock.
Other stats of interest:
New Zealand has eight players in their starting XV that started the previous Test against England. There are 11 players in England’s starting XV that started for England in their November 33-12 win against the Black Ferns in Auckland last year.
This is the first of two tests against England. We'll see how improved the BFs are from last year.
England beat France by 20 points this year.
I am not hopeful of getting close to them tomorrow either
@RoninWC said in Black Ferns V England:
From Allianz Stadium (formerly Twickenham) tomorrow night.
A rematch of the Women's 2022 Rugby World Cup Final.
Very annoying, Stan Sport here in Australia has decided against streaming this match despite having the rights to the game. It does conflict with the Women's Australia v Ireland match but that shouldn't matter.
I've emailed Stan Sports a few times already and I can only encourage other Aussie based Ferner's to do the same and hopefully we can get a replay?
Done!
I managed to catch some of the England V France game last week. Have to say those England forwards are solid lumps of flesh. Handling from both sides was frustrating to watch at times. BFs best keep the ball moving and not get caught up in the ruck. Noticed England seem to tire in the 2nd half and let France back in. Structure is there for England, BFs need to stick to their systems and try and be patient. Weather is cold and clear here.
@RoninWC said in Black Ferns V England:
John Mitchell who took over as Head Coach of England coaches against his native country for the first time
Is that true? Maybe as head coach but I thought he was part of the England team for games against NZ in the late 90s.
clive @Bones said in Black Ferns V England:
@RoninWC said in Black Ferns V England:
John Mitchell who took over as Head Coach of England coaches against his native country for the first time
Is that true? Maybe as head coach but I thought he was part of the England team for games against NZ in the late 90s.
He was forwards coach for Sir Clive for 3-4 years during that period.
England lucky to get away with just a yellow card for a swing tackle right around the neck I thought.
Who is this shit main commentator and is it in her contract to say "big tackles by England" twice a minute?
Black Ferns have been got out by a lack of fitness in the forwards and some terrible passing at Half Back.
Like the All Blacks, the Black Ferns exit work is terrible.
NZR need to find a specialist kick and chase coach to work with their national teams.
One minute to go.
Black Ferns have fought okay.
But it is amazing to see the NZ national side so bad at elements at the game which are basic building blocks of rugby in the NH: clean passes from 9, kicking for touch, chasing kicks.
All over. England win.
The Black Ferns have work to do ahead of next year's World Cup Final at the same venue.
@Bones said in Black Ferns V England:
Who is this shit main commentator and is it in her contract to say "big tackles by England" twice a minute?
She was terrible.
@sparky said in Black Ferns V England:
@Bones said in Black Ferns V England:
Who is this shit main commentator and is it in her contract to say "big tackles by England" twice a minute?
She was terrible.
Fucking atrocious, sounded like she was commentating for 5 year olds, alongside the fucking pitch side interviewer who kept going on about it being a friendly.
Shithouse by BBC.
@sparky said in Black Ferns V England:
One minute to go.
Black Ferns have fought okay.
But it is amazing to see the NZ national side so bad at elements at the game which are basic building blocks of rugby in the NH: clean passes from 9, kicking for touch, chasing kicks.
Oh. These are Northern Hemisphere things?
I'd never heard of these concepts at all growing up playing and watching rugby in NZ in the 1970s.
Imagine how good we'd be if we followed Europe's lead on innovation ...
@Bones said in Black Ferns V England:
England lucky to get away with just a yellow card for a swing tackle right around the neck I thought.
I've just watched the replay of the game. Yes, the reverse angle shows that a PT was justified as there was no covering defenders.
Despite the loss, there were some encouraging signs. The BFs needed to capitalise on those early chances and hold passes when line breaks were made (Brunt and Bremner, for example). They did manage to get the ball wide to beat the rush defence. Unlike England, they hadn't played for a while.
We got the BBC comms so the volume went down.
@Bovidae the amount of "second man play" passes that just went anywhere but the player they were supposed to hit was ridiculous.
Also an extraordinary amount of second passes that just went straight through the receivers hands.
So yeah, tidy even half of that up and they'd be a lot more in the game.
@sparky said in Black Ferns V England:
@booboo Watching the two national teams and Supersnore, they really don't seem to be part of the NZR coaching manual in the 2020s.
I suspect there's a difference between playing poorly and neglecting the basics.
@MiketheSnow said in Black Ferns V England:
@booboo said in Black Ferns V England:
Anyway, any word on crowd size?
41,523
Thank you Michael.
Not a record? Or is it?
What is current record?
Is it still the Final at EP?
@booboo said in Black Ferns V England:
@MiketheSnow said in Black Ferns V England:
@booboo said in Black Ferns V England:
Anyway, any word on crowd size?
41,523
Thank you Michael.
Not a record? Or is it?
What is current record?
Is it still the Final at EP?
15-a-side
58,498 at Twickenham for England v France in 2023
7-a-side
66,000 at Stade de France for Olympics Games Paris 2024
I’m actually encouraged by that performance. If anyone saw the hammering England handed out to them last year at Mt Smart, they could barely get any possession such was English dominance at the set pieces.
This time round I thought they matched the English physicality and put big hits on in defence. More encouragingly was that, barring a few crap lineouts and one really crap scrum, our scrums and lineouts didn’t turn to shit like last year. They need that platform for the backs. I reckon the BFs can still run them off the park if they get a real roll-on and we saw glimpses of that on Saturday. Shit it was good seeing those fat English loose forwards being run around by our loosies.
However, for all of that, the BFs couldn’t convert their chances and the English are still far superior in converting theirs.
Demant at 12 is much better than Demant at 10 imo. The halves pairing (King-Joseph) were playing their 3rd & 4th tests respectively. Even though Joseph’s slow clearing gives me the shits at times we should probably give them more time to get experience. They’ll get better. They have potential. Joseph’s cross field kick to Leti-Iiga was a masterclass but her turnover for slow clearance was clearly not.
@Auckman said in Black Ferns V England:
Shit it was good seeing those fat English loose forwards being run around by our loosies.
Their captain and openside looks like she could give any prop a run for their money.
@Bones said in Black Ferns V England:
@Auckman said in Black Ferns V England:
Shit it was good seeing those fat English loose forwards being run around by our loosies.
Their captain and openside looks like she could give any prop a run for their money.
I think of Belarusian shot putters when I see them. 
