A lot goes on behind the scenes for reporters covering the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The NZ Herald and Beyond the Game's Cheree Kinnear gives a sneak peek into life on tour. Video / NZ Herald / Getty Images
Black Ferns assistant coach Steve Jackson says the side can’t blame the interpretation of the rules or how referees officiate the game when it comes to issues at the collision.
In last weekend’s loss to France, the Black Ferns had to play the last 27 minutes down a playerafter reserve prop Chryss Viliko was sent off for an ugly challenge at the breakdown.
Speaking ahead of the side’s clash against Wales in Dunedin this weekend, Jackson said the collision had been a big area to address for the team.
“We’ve been working really hard not just around the breakdown but in terms of our tackle height and tackling under the ball as well,” Jackson said.
“It was just a bit of a mind explosion that our player had at that time. We’ve spoken about it and we continually train that breakdown and getting the body height right.
“If they can’t make the right decision, they’ve just got to get out of there. It was just unfortunate that at that time Chryss made the wrong decision and put herself in the wrong position to be able to clean that person out.”
For the most part, the Black Ferns were strong in their approach in the contact areas, making good tackles and affecting the breakdown in a legal way, but Viliko’s sending off was the second time in five tests this year that the Black Ferns had seen one of their players red carded. In July, halfback Iritana Hohaia was marched for a face-to-face challenge just two minutes into the side’s win over the United States.
Assistant coach Steve Jackson during a Black Ferns training session. Photo / Photosport
A red card also featured in last year’s World Cup final, with England forced to play most of the game with a numbers disadvantage after Lydia Thompson was sent off for a high shot on Black Ferns winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in just the 18th minute.
Jackson believed a faster, more physical game was a result of women’s rugby going professional and was something all teams would have to adapt to.
“We know that the rules are if you have head-on-head or (hit) anywhere near the head it’s a red card. I think what we’re finding at the moment in the women’s game is that contacts and collisions are a lot bigger than what they used to be as well,” Jackson said.
“They’re physically more demanding on them and they’re faster so when they carry the ball you’ve only got a split second to make a decision on what sort of tackle type you use or your body height at the breakdown.”
“I think we’ve got to move with the rules, move with our training capabilities and the way that we train. We train for scenarios like that, which you don’t really want to do because hopefully, you don’t get into a situation where you do lose a player for that period of time.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
