Wayne Smith says the Black Ferns will play with passion and pace, but he's worried about the size and power of the English and French packs at the Rugby World Cup next month.
"We will go well, I reckon, we will play with heart," the storied formerAll Blacks coach says. "Whether we can catch up with these big, professional teams from Europe, I don't know. But we will give it a good crack."
Smith, now director of coaching for the New Zealand women, watched England's pack roll over the top of the Black Ferns on their Northern Tour last November. The Roses and France each won consecutive tests in a historic four-test run of losses for New Zealand.
Smith says professionalism has tilted the balance of power away from the women's game here.
"You just have to go on YouTube and see the English players training in the gym," he says. "They are three years down the track in terms of professionalism; their premiership's professional. France are similar, they have a professional competition.
"Until three or four years ago, women's rugby [professionally] was an even playing field so things like talent and upbringing clearly advantaged us in New Zealand.
"We had young women coming through who had played backyard rugby with their brothers and had played junior rugby, and had fantastic skills and ability and talent.
"What's happened is that professionalism has created, not a chasm, but certainly a difference between them and us."
Wayne Smith oversees the Black Ferns' warmup before facing off against Japan. Photo / Photosport
Smith has brought in some heavyweights to help bridge the gap with Mike Cron, the scrum guru who had 16 years with the All Blacks, helping with the forwards while All Blacks legend Dan Carter has worked with the kickers.
But Smith remains wary.
"We are catching up but I am still nervous about giving penalties away, about balls being kicked into the corners and those big packs rumbling through for tries," he says.
"So we have to be smart about how we play. We can match them for speed and skill and passion, we just have to be really smart about how we attack them.
"The game that I have always coached is not over-instructed. I understand the need for a good set-piece strike and a couple of phases that are sequenced, but after that the game is unstructured.
"The biggest challenge for me has been freeing the women up to play that unstructured game because that's 60 per cent of the game — or even 70 per cent."
Wayne Smith celebrates winning the Laurie O'Reilly Cup with his Black Ferns team. Photo / Photosport
And the Black Ferns are rising to the challenge.
"We are not perfect, that's for sure, but there is a real desire to play attacking rugby," he says.
When asked the difference between coaching men and women, Smith looks off the field for the answer. "It's that whole struggle; nothing has been easy for them. The All Blacks are the pinnacle, the jersey is revered and you've got a lot of young men who have prepared for it through school and academies for most of their life," he says. "But you want to see a Black Ferns jersey presentation — you've never seen anything like it. You talk about cherishing a jersey ..."
Smith points to Lucy Anderson, who debuted against the US in June, as evidence of the desire that courses through the women who pull on the black shirt.
"She'd been trying for 12 years to get into the Black Ferns. She started as a 12, migrated to No 8 and finally got in the Black Ferns as a tighthead prop. Imagine that — 12 years and three different positions and you finally got the jersey!
"It's a hell of an emotional ride for a lot of these ladies and it's just fantastic seeing how much it means to them."
Smith was reluctant to take over the Black Ferns head coaching role after the messy departure of World Cup-winning head coach Glenn Moore following a review this year into the team's culture.
"I didn't know the players," Smith explains. "I'd watched a few games with interest on tour but nothing more than that. I hadn't analysed anything and I felt really unprepared."
It was an uncomfortable feeling for a man used to being the driving force behind the All Blacks rugby smarts, the coach Sir Graham Henry reckons is the best New Zealand has ever produced.
"I felt like I had been caught up in an avalanche," Smith said. "I realise now I was in an avalanche, but I have landed on a gold mine. It's one of the best things I've done."
Wayne Smith (L) and Graham Henry formed a formidable coaching team for the All Blacks. Photo / Photosport
Part of that is because the Black Ferns are a team Smith can easily identify with. A product of the amateur era, who coached at an elite level in the professional era, Smith adores the commitment and dedication of his new team.
"I love the attitude within the team. The struggle these girls have had really resonates with me because it's what we had to do back in my day — you had to work or study, fit in your rugby early in the morning, lunchtime, train at night," he says. "We have got teachers, lawyers, students, engineers, it is a hell of a bright team with a huge social conscience. It's a hell of a privilege to be involved with them and I'm so glad I got talked into the role."
After the World Cup, Smith, now 65, will happily slip back to a measure of anonymity at Waihī Beach where he now lives with his wife, Trish. The couple plan on travelling in the near future, but coaching will never be far away.
"It's in my blood, I love it. I love the whole team thing and, even for a short time, being part of a club or a culture is outstanding."
"I'm past those days. They are the greatest years of your life, but I always felt the responsibility keenly," Smith says. "I'm a real optimist so if we lost a game I always thought it would be our day next week. But there is a lot of pressure, constantly.
"It's a challenging role and I'm enjoying watching it rather than coaching it."
This story was originally published at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.
