“I don’t think England will have faced anything that unstructured for a while. They are also used to being ahead, so they may get flustered and frustrated.
“It’s going to be an incredible finale.”
Wales also lost against the Black Ferns in pool play, going down 56-12 in a 10-try Black Ferns blast. In both defeats, the Wales pack provided a stern challenge for the Black Ferns in the lineout, scrum and maul.
“Our set piece took a huge step forward in this campaign,” Lillicrap said. “Our lineout and our scrum were a deadly force and it made teams look at themselves and come up with ways to combat it.
“We are obviously disappointed to be knocked out of the Rugby World Cup, but we leave New Zealand with no regrets and our heads held high.”
Lillicrap said the tournament — in which the powerhouses of England and France have shown the benefit of their well-supported programmes — had shown how important it is for national bodies to invest in women’s rugby. “Everyone is going to have to step up their game or they will be left behind.”
She said New Zealand was “a pretty cool country, it’s like Wales but on a larger scale”.
“It’s got lovely beaches, lots of mountains, the weather is similar, sunshine one day and pouring down the next.
“They are a nation that truly lives and breathes rugby.
“Everyone wants to talk to you when you’re out and about, they want to know which nation you’re from and they want to wish you well.”
Lillicrap noted how difficult it had been for her after her grandfather died at the start of the tournament. “This is sport and sometimes you have to put things into perspective. It was my grandfather’s funeral last week and I’m itching to see my grandmother and my family and give them all a big hug.”
