“We want to have a defence that is feared, and I think that nil really showed that.
“One of the building blocks of our defence is care. We have care for each other, care in our line, and in all the behaviours that we do, we want to show care.”
But it was far from a performance that flowed on attack. Perhaps a case of having to blow the rust off after not having a test for two months, or a bid to try new combinations, or simply a risk of their willingness to play with freedom, but the Black Ferns made a number of uncharacteristic errors, from passes missing the mark, a couple of kicks being put out on the full and poor decisions being made at times.
There was also little sign of their kicking game in open play; kicking for territory not exactly something they were needing to do to work their way into opposition territory.
While the Black Ferns had some struggles with their handling, the Wallaroos were in the same boat. The hosts had some time with possession, but it took them until around the half-hour mark to begin to string some phases together.
When they did start getting things together, they only really threatened the Black Ferns’ try line once; prop Eva Karpani held up over the line.
There will be plenty for coach Allan Bunting to dissect over the coming weeks, with the side now eyeing their standalone test against England at Twickenham in September, with the WXV 1 tournament soon after.
It will be a different test for the Black Ferns, and one year out from the World Cup, that will be a stretch that truly shows just where the side are in their bid to defend their World Cup crown.
From the outset, the Black Ferns set the tempo as second five-eighths Demant shot through a gap in the Australian defence. The visitors had plenty of success in exploiting space in the Wallaroos’ line, and penalties often helped them into attacking territory.
It took the side less than five minutes to crash over, with hooker Georgia Ponsonby dotting down from close range. Sae scored out wide soon after, before tries to Ruby Tui and Vahaakolo saw the Black Ferns go up 24-0 after as many minutes.
Another to Vahaakolo before halftime - chasing down a beautiful grubber behind the line from Brunt - gave the side a convincing lead at the break, before she extended that moments after the restart.
She soon had a fourth, with Brunt and debutant Atlanta Lolohea also getting on the scoreboard, before a penalty try on the last play of the game sealed a lopsided scoreline.
Black Ferns 62 (Katelyn Vahaakolo 4, Penalty Try, Georgia Ponsonby, Layla Sae, Ruby Tui, Sylvia Brunt, Atlanta Lolohea tries; Renee Holmes 5 cons)
Wallaroos 0
HT: 29-0
Atlanta Lolohea is in line to make her Black Ferns debut when the side clash with the Wallaroos in Brisbane this afternoon, named as cover at hooker on the bench. Her introduction was one of a handful of changes made by New Zealand coach Allan Bunting from the side that claimed a healthy 67-19 win over the Australians when they last met in May.
Among the other changes, Ruahei Demant will start at second five-eighths, allowing Hannah King to retain the No 10 jersey, while Tanya Kalounivale (tighthead prop), Layla Sae (openside flanker), Maia Joseph (halfback) and Ruby Tui (right wing) all join the starting side. With Demant wearing the No 12 jersey, Sylvia Brunt will shift out to centre, while Mererangi Paul moves to the bench with Tui’s inclusion.
Props Pip Love and Amy Rule, lock Chelsea Bremner, loose forward Lucy Jenkins and outside back Monica Tagoai all join the match-day squad on the bench as well. Co-captain Kennedy Simon is out of the squad due to injury.
In terms of King starting at first five-eighths again, the Black Ferns finished their last outing against Australia with Demant coming into the game at second five-eighths - and Bunting liked what he saw in that set-up.
“It’s an opportunity,” Bunting said. “Hannah’s been going really well and playing with Lu [Demant], we’ve got two good communicators, two people who can kick and Lu likes to run a bit with ball in hand. It’s an opportunity to try something different and another opportunity to give Sylvia a go at centre.”
After the side’s win over the Wallaroos in May, Bunting mentioned the team would be turning their attention to their one-off clash against England at Twickenham in September and trying to put themselves in the best position to topple the Red Roses.
With that in mind, Bunting said they were trying some new things against the Wallaroos.
“We’re really happy with the depth we’ve been building over the last year and a bit. Where we’re heading over to Twickenham, we’re trying a couple of new things in this game. You can probably see a bit of consistency through the spine of this group. We haven’t got Kennedy here, she’s got an injury but she’ll be back.
“We’re trying a few new things but building towards the end of the year.”
Black Ferns (1-15): Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Alana Bremner, Liana Mikaele Tu’u, Layla Sae, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Maia Joseph, Hannah King, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ruahei Demant (c), Sylvia Brunt, Ruby Tui, Renee Holmes.
Reserves: Atlanta Lolohea, Pip Love, Amy Rule, Chelsea Bremner, Lucy Jenkins, Iritana Hohaia, Monica Tagoai, Mererangi Paul.
