Black Ferns 2025
-
@Yeetyaah said in Black Ferns 2025:
Dare I say the Holmes and Tui omissions are deserved. Both far from their best form for Manawa this year.
I have to say I wasn't super impressed by Holmes, even during the RWC. Lacked pace, not strong in the tackle, kicking was patchy
-
The selections will be more interesting once the BF7s women are available.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/black-ferns-kickstart-2025-campaign-against-australia
-
Black Ferns v Canada
1 Chryss Viliko
2 Georgia Ponsonby
3 Amy Rule
4 Alana Bremner
5 Maiakawanakaulani Roos
6 Layla Sae
7 Kennedy Tukuafu (Co-captain)
8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u
9 Maia Joseph
10 Ruahei Demant (Co-captain)
11 Ayesha Leti-I’iga
12 Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt
13 Amy du Plessis
14 Portia Woodman-Wickliffe
15 Braxton Sorensen-McGee16 Atlanta Lolohea
17 Kate Henwood
18 Tanya Kalounivale
19 Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu
20 Kaipo Olsen-Baker
21 Iritana Hohaia
22 Hannah King
23 Mererangi PaulPortia is the only BF7s player included. Liana Mikaele-Tu'u back from injury. Canada beat NZ at this ground last year, and this will be the toughest match of these three.
Black Ferns named for redemption match against Canada
The Black Ferns seek redemption this Saturday in front of a home crowd in their second Pacific Four Series (PAC4) Test match against Canada at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch, 3.35pm kick-off.
-
-
Du Plessis isn't good enough to start IMO. Bench option at best. She did have a good Aupiki season but was shown up in the Aupiki final by Demant and Woodman. Du Plessis also fluffed a 4-1 overlap last week. I guess Bunting is being cautious against Canada but it would've been a far more potent backline to reunite the Matatu halves (Joseph/King) and unite the Blues midfield (Demant/Woodman). That then gives room for a Leti-Iiga/Sorensen-McGee/Vahaakolo back-3 with Waaka/Setefano on the bench.
Also thought the loosies are wrong. Not sure why Sa'e keeps starting. She was the least impressive of all the loosies in Aupiki. I'd have put Mikaele-Tu'u at six, Olsen-Baker at eight, and start Tukuafu at seven but with Miller on the bench. Mikaele-Tu'u is the lineout option among those three.
-
@Auckman said in Black Ferns 2025:
Du Plessis isn't good enough to start IMO. Bench option at best. She did have a good Aupiki season but was shown up in the Aupiki final by Demant and Woodman. Du Plessis also fluffed a 4-1 overlap last week. I guess Bunting is being cautious against Canada but it would've been a far more potent backline to reunite the Matatu halves (Joseph/King) and unite the Blues midfield (Demant/Woodman). That then gives room for a Leti-Iiga/Sorensen-McGee/Vahaakolo back-3 with Waaka/Setefano on the bench.
Also thought the loosies are wrong. Not sure why Sa'e keeps starting. She was the least impressive of all the loosies in Aupiki. I'd have put Mikaele-Tu'u at six, Olsen-Baker at eight, and start Tukuafu at seven but with Miller on the bench. Mikaele-Tu'u is the lineout option among those three.
I'm a fan of du Plessis, but she lacks a bit of pace.
-
I thought du Plessis was very good against Australia.
-
-
@kev du Plessis offers little at centre. No pace and seldom makes a line break. We need some x-factor at centre, so either Stacey or Portia. Joseph is also a handbrake at halfback at times. I'll be interested to see what Pouri-Lane can do. If the BFs want to play up-tempo you can't select a halfback who is so deliberate before passing. Woodman-Wickliffe needed her hands on the ball.
And defending the lineout drive. England will brutally expose them there.
-
@Bovidae Agree. Joseph had average 1st game so surprised to see her start.
They didn’t exit well - England will kill them close to line. At restart the receiver often had time to kick and clear but the default was to pass to runner to take it into contact.
-
The inability to defend a maul is still a major Achilles heel of this BF team. Also need a fetcher at 7. Tukuafu isn’t up to it. She needs to be Les Elder’d and dropped completely. I thought she might reproduce her Aupiki form with her turnover rate but nope. Miller needs to be picked here but I’m worried Bunting will still start Tukuafu next week. Miller needs to get the full game to get her minutes up.
However, the inability to give good ball to the wings is also a major problem. The ball dies when it gets to AdP. She needs to be dropped. The fact that Bumting only got rid of her with 5mins to go instead of shifting Woodman to centre is a huge concern - it means Bunting actually rates AdP and she might well be going to the World Cup possibly at the expense of far better midfielders like Setefano and Waaka. That’ll be a massive selection error if he does that. She’s not up to it. Brunt played well though.
Agree on Joseph. Her passing is so slow it’s a massive liability.
England will destroy this BF team. Bunting really doesn’t have a clue.
-
The rest of the BF7s players start, as well as some debutants.
Black Ferns named in must-win match against USA
Black Ferns selectors have named four debutants to play in a must-win clash against USA this Saturday, their last game of the Pacific Four Series (PAC4) at North Harbour Stadium.
1 Kate Henwood
2 Georgia Ponsonby
3 Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu*
4 Alana Bremner
5 Maiakawanakaulani Roos
6 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u
7 Jorja Miller*
8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker
9 Risaleaana Pouri-Lane*
10 Ruahei Demant (cc)
11 Katelyn Vahaakolo
12 Theresa Setefano
13 Stacey Waaka
14 Portia Woodman-Wickliffe
15 Braxton Sorensen-McGee16 Vici-Rose Green*
17 Awhina Tangen-Wainohu
18 Tanya Kalounivale
19 Chelsea Bremner
20 Kennedy Tukuafu (cc)
21 Maia Joseph
22 Hannah King
23 Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt -
@Bovidae said in Black Ferns 2025:
3 Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu*
Incredible stuff at 20 years old. Major knee surgery first year out of school, a debut season in the FPC last year, Aupiki debut this year and finally an intertnational debut all in under 12 months.
