Kelly Brazier celebrates with teammate Les Ketu after scoring a try during the Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 match between New Zealand and Hong Kong. Photo / Getty Images
Kelly Brazier celebrates with teammate Les Ketu after scoring a try during the Women's Rugby World Cup 2017 match between New Zealand and Hong Kong. Photo / Getty Images
Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier will be back in the Black Ferns jersey this week - the first time since the 2017 Women's World Cup final ready for their clash against USA on Wednesday.
Black Ferns head coach Glenn Moore has named the squad that will play USA in theirsecond test match of the Women's Rugby Super Series 2019 in San Diego, on Wednesday afternoon (NZT).
Among the squad is three new caps including Wellington lock Joanah Ngan-Woo, Canterbury hooker Forne Burkin and Waikato flanker Kennedy Simon, set to make their test debuts from the reserves.
Brazier has been named in the reserves, her first time in the Black Ferns jersey since the 2017 final, and Moore says her talent is undeniable.
"We all know how talented Kelly is and she can cover 10, 12 and 15," Moore says.
"Kelly brings experience, she reads the game well, and is brave on defence. She has a calm head and is conditioned to playing on the big stage. She will bring a steadying influence to the back line," he says.
"We are looking forward to seeing how this line-up goes."
Moore said the squad had recovered well from their match against Canada, beating them 35-20 last Saturday, and would need to step it up a notch against the USA.
"We watched the match between USA and England, and the Americans brought a lot of physicality and made some big hits so we need to be ready for that. We've put strategies in place to counter what we expect them to bring and are ready."
The team is (caps in brackets): Phillipa Love (8) Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate (25) Aleisha-Pearl Nelson (30) Eloise Blackwell (38) Charmaine Smith (22) Charmaine McMenamin (20) Les Elder (Captain, 14) Pia Tapsell (1) Kendra Cocksedge (Vice-captain, 48) Ruahei Demant (6) Ayesha Leti-I'iga (4) Chelsea Alley (19) Carla Hohepa (20) Natahlia Moors (1) Renee Wickliffe (36) Forne Burkin Toka Natua (17) Leilani Perese (6) Joanah Ngan-Woo Kennedy Simon Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu (1) Theresa Fitzpatrick (9)
