Every system has a weakness, and assistant coach Wes Clarke believes the Black Ferns have identified one in the French.
The two sides are set to square off in a blockbuster World Cup semifinal clash, one that comes with plenty of intrigue attached to it.
The French have had theBlack Ferns’ number in recent history, winning the last four meetings between the sides. The New Zealand side hasn’t won the match-up since late 2018.
But history aside, the two sides have gotten to this point in their World Cup campaigns playing very different brands of rugby. While the Black Ferns have displayed a high-tempo, attacking style that sees them keep ball in hand and try to exploit space with speed, the French play an almost opposite style — kicking a lot and backing their defence.
It’s a stylistic match-up Clarke believes could open some opportunities for his side.
“There are only 15 people on the field and it’s a big field. We’re looking at trends of where they’ve left space potentially, and then how we can get the ball there effectively while still staying in our systems; that could be behind them, to the side of them or through them,” Clarke said.
“We’ve definitely identified some areas. I’m confident we’ve done our homework very well; it will just come down to execution.”
Black Ferns coaches Wes Clarke and Wayne Smith. Photo / Photosport
With that, Clarke said the coaching staff had a clear idea of what they wanted to see from their side this week, as well as who they believed the best players for the job would be.
“We’ve got 32 players that have all performed; they’ve all done a really good job. It’s been really difficult separating them. We’ve done that now and have a clear plan, but there are some special players who are going to miss out this week, and that’s sad.”
Execution has been an area that the Black Ferns have been gradually improving throughout the season as their backline combinations grow familiar with playing together. In their past two matches — against Scotland and Wales — they have also taken a step up physically, with the forwards providing plenty of time and space for their playmakers to work in.
However, in their quarter-final win against Wales at the weekend, Clarke said there were still a few issues in his side’s game that needed to be addressed before they run out onto the turf at Eden Park on Saturday night.
“Too many drops and our restarts were poor, so we’ve got to fix those,” Clarke said.
“The French, I think they’ve kicked more than anyone in the comp so far. We’re expecting a potential aerial assault from them, so there’s a bit of stuff to work on there.
“With France, they can be fairly unpredictable. They probably kick differently to most teams. On the end-of-year tour last year, they kicked a lot in our 22 — the kick-to-ruck ratio was something like 1:3 or 1:4. So three rucks and they’ll kick it; in the opposition 22 that’s unorthodox. We’re expecting them to be France. We’re expecting them to be unorthodox with a rock solid defence.”
