Dame Farah Palmer
Despite their dominance at previous Rugby World Cups, the defending champion Black Ferns can’t afford to rest on their laurels.
Host nation England could derail New Zealand’s plans for a seventh Women’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) title, former Ferns’ captain, Dame Farah Palmer, says.
“It’s always tough to beat the home team, and England will be boosted by their supporters, but they may trip up on the way to the finals, so it’s anyone’s tournament to win,” she told The News.
The Black Ferns secured a semifinal berth this week with a 62-19 win over Japan.
“The Black Ferns will be focusing on each game as it comes. If they can gel as a team in the pool games, and figure out who’s in the starting 15, I think they’ll have a strong chance against whoever they meet in the finals.”
Originally from Piopio, Palmer captained the Black Ferns to three RWC wins, including two finals against England. In total, New Zealand has a 5–0 record in RWC finals against England.
The Ferns clearly expressed their intentions at the cup by opening with a 54–8 thrashing of tournament minnows, Spain. However, the victory came at a cost.
“They would have learnt a lot about how their set pieces, attack options etcetera are working, but the injury count is a bit of a concern,” Palmer said. “Their physio and medical team will be working hard to get players back to their best in time for the last pool match.”
The final pool match against Ireland on Sunday (September 7) will test the Ferns, Palmer said.
“Ireland will be a challenge – the Black Ferns lost to them at the 2014 RWC, and Ireland also plays in the Six Nations tournament, so they’re used to tournament preparation and performance.”
At home, while some of the best players are on RWC duty, Auckland, Canterbury and defending champs, Waikato, will all still be tough to beat in this year’s Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) Premiership, Palmer said.
“Auckland has lost a lot of key players to the Black Ferns, but Canterbury is looking good. My pick is Waikato but Manawatū has some amazing players and could be a wildcard winner.”
From 1992 to 2007, Palmer played eight seasons for Otago, seven for Manawatū and one for Waikato.
The FPC Premiership final is scheduled for early October.
