“We’ve got a lot of stuff we need to work on, probably as a coaching group too. How we prepare our ladies a bit better for that sort of pressure but I think we’ve got those learnings now and can implement that.”
Over the course of the Pacific Four series, the Black Ferns saw themselves tested defensively in all three of their tests, while Canada were able to apply pressure through their accuracy and execution on both sides of the ball.
That sort of pressure can be expected, albeit taken up a notch, by the world No 1 English team.
“I think our coaches are preparing us really well and we know where we need to get to, but it’s taking that week by week at this stage,” Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant said.
“We’re still trying to grow as a team and as individuals, and fortunately for us, we’ve got coaching staff that can help us get there. There’s been a lot of lessons learned over the last five weeks, and we know we’ll continue to build on these lessons as we build towards Twickenham.”
The Black Ferns adjusted their game quickly to exploit the Wallaroos, largely parking their kicking game after the early exchanges and blowing the Australians away with a high-octane running game.
Led by the work up the middle from the forwards – No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker particularly damaging – the back line moved the ball along quickly and accelerated when the space did open up.
Coming in off a loss to Canada the week prior and running out a squad with several new or returning faces, Bunting said the performance was a step in the right direction.
“It was definitely a lot better than last week, and good to see some of our players that haven’t played much get out there and play well. It’s pleasing to see our growth from last week.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
