The Black Ferns have a Rugby World Cup to defend, and right now, they don’t look remotely ready. After a scratchy comeback to draw with Canada - a match we should’ve won - I was left wondering: is anyone in this team actually worried? Because the rest of us are.
Coach Alan Bunting came out post-match and said the result was good for the team. I’m sorry, what? We claw back to 27-27 against a Canadian side that’s supposed to be a few notches below us, and we’re “better for it”? Let’s be honest, it was panic rugby. Helter-skelter. Lacking composure. We were poor, and worst of all - we seem to be excusing it.
Here’s the thing about test match rugby. You don’t win games because you claim it's in your DNA, you don’t win because you wear the silver fern. You win because you earn it – through control, execution, and discipline. All of which were conspicuously absent.
If DNA means playing risky, loose, high-error rugby when a result is on the line, then maybe it's time for a bit of genetic re-engineering.
This team isn't playing well enough. And if that doesn’t change soon, the dream of defending the title at Twickenham later this year will evaporate faster than a missed conversion in a Wellington southerly.
Let’s not forget, we haven’t beaten England since that 2022 final. Since then? They've been the pace setters in the women's game. They’ve evolved. We’re still talking about our DNA. The French? Similar story. There’s a fine line between self-belief and self-delusion, and right now, we’re drifting dangerously toward the wrong end of that spectrum.
The Black Ferns are capable of greatness. We’ve seen it. But greatness in test match rugby is built on cohesion, clarity, and the courage to play the moment – not chase a highlight reel. And certainly not on spinning PR gold out of a draw that felt more like a loss.
There’s a worrying echo in Bunting’s post-match remarks. A sense of contentment, not urgency. And that’s the red flag here. When teams stop being honest with themselves, the results follow. Or rather, don’t.
This isn’t a call to abandon attacking rugby – far from it. It’s a call to be smarter. To tighten the screws. To earn the right to go wide. To understand that test match success comes from doing the basics so well that the brilliance naturally follows.
As it stands, this version of the Black Ferns is trying to skip steps. And that doesn’t work against England. Or France. Or even, apparently, Canada.
We’re better than this. We know we are. Please, Black Ferns – wake up. The rugby world isn’t waiting for us to click. It’s already moving on.
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