Coach thinks world champion Black Ferns will be better for Canada draw
May 19 (Reuters) - New Zealand coach Allan Bunting said he thought the Black Ferns were building nicely for their Women's World Cup title defence despite being held to a 27-27 draw by Canada in a Pacific Four clash at the weekend.
The Black Ferns had been desperate for a win in Christchurch on Saturday to avenge their first ever loss to the Canadians in last year's Pacific Four and confirm that they were on the right track for the August 22 to September 27 World Cup.
Canada, who are ranked second in the world behind World Cup hosts England and ahead of New Zealand, created problems early on for the Black Ferns with their big ball-runners, and went ahead with a Shoshanah Seumanutafa try four minutes from time.
Centre Sylvia Brunt crashed over the line after multiple phases to level the scores after 83 minutes but flyhalf Ruahei Demant was unable to slot the conversion from the sidelines to give New Zealand the win.
Bunting was delighted with the way the team rescued the draw even if he thought they had enough chances to put the game to bed earlier in the match.
"Just that intent and effort from our ladies was outstanding, we've just got to be a bit better at execution," Bunting told reporters.
"Canada's a quality side and once they got going, they're pretty hard to stop. The speed of the ball was pretty hard, and we need to react a little bit quicker.
"We needed that test now and we'll get some pretty good learnings out of this. We'll definitely be better for it."
New Zealand winger Ayesha Leti-I'iga scored tries either side of halftime and Bunting said he would be bringing in some players recruited from the Sevens programme for the final Pacific Four test against the United States next week.
The ninth-ranked Americans lost 27-19 to Australia in Canberra on Saturday and will be without veteran centre Alev Kelter for the clash in Auckland.
Kelter faces a lengthy ban after being shown a red card for stamping on the head of Australia's Georgie Friedrichs while trying to break free of a tackle, an act described by referee Aimee Barrett-Theron as "thuggery".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ospreys sign South African Boshoff on permanent deal
Centre Evardi Boshoff will rejoin Ospreys from Toyota Cheetahs on a permanent deal for the 2025-26 first joined the Ospreys on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season and returned for a second loan spell the following 26-year-old South African has made a total of 23 appearances for Ospreys during his previous loan spells."I'm looking forward to having a full season with this group and reconnecting with the fans who have been great since I first came here," Boshoff said."I've really enjoyed life in Wales, the people here are so welcoming …. This is a special club and it's a privilege to be a part of."Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: "Evardi is both a talented and dedicated player who has already proven his ability at this level."I was really impressed with how he stepped up to the plate for us last season."We've seen in the past how much he can contribute on and off the field, and his return not only brings a familiarity to our backline, but also some valuable experience amongst it as well."
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Master motivators put 90s chart-toppers Bath and Leicester back on Premiership final stage
It has been a while but the old firm of English club rugby are finally back. Between 1978 and 1997 Bath and Leicester collectively won 15 national knockout trophies and over the first 15 years of the league's existence they claimed 12 titles between them. Their reunion at Twickenham is akin to those other 90s chart-toppers, Oasis and Blur, dusting down their favourite guitars and appearing on stage together. The temptation is to dive head first into a foaming tub of nostalgia and wallow in the rekindled rivalry. If anyone had predicted in 1996 that Bath would not win another domestic title in the next 29 years they would have been laughed out of the convivial old Rec clubhouse. Leicester, similarly, thought the ABC Club and the Tigers' steely winning mentality would live for ever. It is the here and now, though, that really matters in a grand final week. And how interesting that it has taken a South African and an Australian, neither of whom played Test rugby, to bring the good times rolling back to two famous English institutions. At first glance the outwardly calm, process-oriented Johann van Graan and the more animated Michael Cheika might not appear to have much in common. But drill a little deeper and the renaissance of their respective teams has been built on broadly the same tenets. Both are widely travelled family men who have long since understood that coaching is ultimately about people. And, specifically, about channelling the power of the collective, not least psychologically. Both have also looked beyond rugby's normal tramlines for inspiration. Cheika, born in Sydney to Lebanese immigrants, used to run a successful fashion distribution business, which he says taught him plenty about how to manage and operate under pressure. And did you know that Bath's rise has been partly shaped by the best strategic minds in the US army? Van Graan, it emerges, has made multiple visits to the US Military Academy at West Point, just up the Hudson River from New York, to discover how real combatants prepare for battle. 'I often think about what I've learned there,' he said this week. 'We speak a lot about war in training but I go to learn from guys who are actually in a war. I remember this one platoon leader taking us into a little restaurant and giving me live examples of training and battle and how the two differ.' Van Graan's attention to detail has also taken him to several NFL teams including the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. The 45-year-old has also embraced the vision of continual improvement embedded in Japanese Kaizen culture and tapped into the benefits of mind-and-body yoga. At half-time in the dressing room, before a single coaching message is imparted, Bath's players collectively take a deliberate yoga-style deep breath to help bring them back in sync. 'Obviously rugby's a very emotional game and when you're in the middle of the battle it can be hard bringing yourself back to a calm state,' says Miles Reid, one of several local Bath boys yearning to bring the league title back to their rugby-centric home city. 'Before a message is delivered in our huddles we take a breath. It just gets us all on the same page. It calms us down and then you're clearer and more receptive.' Bath's second-half surge against Bristol Bears in last Friday's semi-final would suggest it is working. As with his native Springboks, for whom Van Graan worked as an assistant between 2012 and 2017, Bath also possess a 'bomb squad' bench who blow most opponents away. Van Graan will also tell you that relaying the infamously muddy pitch at the Rec – ironically after a narrow defeat by Leicester – has been even more vital to Bath's resurgence, finally suiting the all-court brand of rugby they wanted to play. The Tigers have not had the luxury of Bruce Craig's generous financial backing. Having won the title against the odds in 2022, they trailed in eighth in the table last year and Cheika's tenure will span only one year. As recently as January they contrived to concede 80 points to Toulouse, forcing their resident Australian wizard to dig into his box of motivational tricks. He has plenty of them: among his more famous ploys was handing out engraved golf clubs to each member of his Waratahs squad before their Super Rugby final against the Crusaders in 2014. He wanted to encourage them to have a swing and not have any regrets. The Waratahs duly beat a strong Crusaders side 33-32. The 58-year-old Australian has not yet been spotted in any pro shops this week but, whether it be through tone, body language or symbolic messaging, he will unquestionably have Leicester pumped up for the big one. 'He's obviously unbelievable in terms of the strategic side,' says England's Ollie Chessum, set to embark on his first Lions tour next week. 'You don't get as far as he has in rugby without having that rugby IQ. But for me he just finds a way to galvanise the group and get them to find a real meaning in what they're doing. We've probably not learned too much technically that we didn't already know but what's really changed this year is around that mental and emotional side of the game. Cheik's incredibly good at finding a way to motivate boys. He'll also say that just believing you can do it makes a huge difference.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Leicester, even so, will require something special to stop a team who are chasing a trophy treble, having already landed the Challenge Cup and Premiership Cup. Not only do Bath have the baton-twirling Finn Russell but they have impressive power and pace across the field. Even without the injured Ollie Lawrence, Van Graan's multifaceted squad is finally well placed to reward Craig's investment. Then again the white-shirted Tigers will be feeling an emotional surge as they bid farewell to, among others, their retiring legends Ben Youngs and Dan Cole. 'It's sad seeing Coley retire,' says Joe Heyes, his front-row teammate. 'Lenny too. They've been a huge part of this club. We want to send them off in the right way.' Chessum, increasingly influential for club and country, is another believer. 'When we've needed it most in the last five, six weeks the squad has really clicked. As Cheik says, we've been playing under pressure for quite a few weeks now.' Or, to quote Cheika himself: 'When the opportunity's there you'd be mad not to take it, wouldn't you?' But Bath and Van Graan have not come this far to abandon their process now and lose a second consecutive Premiership final. If they can crack the title code it may just be the first of many.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Matthews, Heard and George stay with Glos-Harptury
England duo Alex Matthews and Tatyana Heard and Wales' Lleucu George have agreed new deals to stay at Premiership Women's Rugby champions trio have all been part of the club's three-peat of league titles between 2023 and row Matthews, 31, has 75 caps for the Red Roses and joined the club from Worcester in Heard, 30, is one of Gloucester-Hartpury's longest serving players, moving to the club in 2017 and has 29 international caps since her debut in George, 25, will go into her sixth season with Gloucester-Hartpury in 2025-26 and has 25 international caps to her name, after making her Wales debut aged 17 initially playing in the back club have not disclosed the length of any of the new contracts. Gloucester-Hartpury are undergoing a major change this summer following the departure of head of women's rugby Sean Lynn, who spearheaded the team's transformation into PWR Murphy, who was appointed head of rugby in April, said "Alex is one of those rare players who is so consistent at every level of rugby she plays, she rarely has a poor game at club or international level."When you watch [Heard], you can see the athletic abilities she has and what that can bring to the team, but she's worked incredibly hard to develop other areas of her game over the last couple of seasons to become a more well-rounded player, and she's gone up yet another gear."Lleucu's game management and kicking ability are exceptional and a key part of why we've been so successful."
