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Portia Woodman names former coach as her favourite to succeed Wayne Smith

Portia Woodman, Wayne Smith and Sarah Hirini celebrate following the Black Ferns' World Cup win. Photo by Hannah Peters - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images

Black Ferns superstar wing Portia Woodman has revealed who she’d put her money on as the Black ferns’ next head coach after the departure of Wayne Smith.

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Smith steered the team to a remarkable turnaround over his brief 10-month tenure as the Ferns’ head coach, ultimately seeing the side win the 2021 (played in 2022) Rugby World Cup on home soil.

The Black Ferns’ resurgent win and the fandom that came with it leaves Smith’s replacement with big shoes to fill and so Woodman hazarded a – presumably educated – guess for who might be in line for the role.

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“My money’s on … wouldn’t it be great (to have) Allan Bunting,” Woodman told Stuff.

Bunting’s success as a coach spans both the 15’s and sevens codes, having coached the Black Ferns sevens to Olympic glory in Tokyo in addition to three further titles amassed during his five-year reign as head coach in the sevens format. Bunting’s Super Rugby Aupiki career kicked off with the launch of the competition in 2022 where he led his Chiefs Manawa side to victory in the tournament’s debut season.

The Black Ferns environment wouldn’t be new territory for Bunting, who was involved in the squad’s 2022 campaign in a newly created role, Manager of Culture and Leaderhip.

When taking up the job, Bunting told RNZ:

“If we get our connection right,” Bunting started. “Who we are and what our identity is, it will drive on-field performance.

“My role will be making sure there is real alignment and connection because a light is going to shine on this team like never before, and we need to decide what we want to be in that light.”

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Another member of the Black Ferns coaching staff in 2022, Wes Clarke, is viewed as Bunting’s hottest opposition for the job while wildcard options Sir Graham Henry and Kendra Cocksedge told Stuff they were too late and too early into their respective coaching careers to take on the role.

Woodman and co answered the questions while meeting fans on the Wellington stop of the Black Ferns’ victory tour. The star left winger issued an update on her recovery from the head injury she received in the World Cup final, saying she’s back to light training and hopes to be fit and ready for the Hamilton sevens tournament in mid-January.

Now the leading try scorer in World Cup history, Woodman admitted she didn’t believe New Zealand would turn out and support the team to the extent they did. Once she saw the sold-out crowds, she expected the experience of playing in those games to be the highlight of her career, only to go on to win the tournament and be crowned World Champions in front of another record crowd.

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

You forget that this was the 3rd Test between the AB's and the English this year. They were prepared and they knew how to keep NZ quiet. The Boks is not NZ.


The Boks is a whole other level. You overestimate England and underestimate the Boks. Clearly you haven't really looked at the teams. Besides the Irish games earlier this year, the Boks have mainly used experimental sides, even against the AB's.


Now they have chosen their best team available. They have targeted this game. The Boks mean business. Man for man, this Bok team is better. In strategy and player abilities there is no comparison and they are outmatched.


There isn't just monster strength, but unreal speed. In broken play there is currently no better team as well as defensively, not to even talk about the attacking threat, both from front and the back.


I'd say read between the lines, see what everyone is seeing, but clearly you are wearing blinders and is also putting too much emphasis on an AB's team the Boks beat twice this year, the same AB's that beaten England 3 times this year.


When Rassie gets serious, the players become machines. There is no stopping them. That bench is loaded with players that is fast, strong and have exceptional skills. This is a team not many teams will face before the 2027 WC, because the Boks doesn't use their best between WC's in one game. All experimental.


You will be proven wrong on Saturday and then you will wonder how you could have been so wrong. This Bok team means serious business. They came to conquer and not just by a close score. They want to demolish and they will. This England team at most is a 60 min team. Against the Boks that just won't cut it

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H
Hellhound 1 hour ago
South Africa will beat England at a canter

Not bizarre, but needed. Everyone usually lifts their game against the Boks. Now instead of facing reality, they prefer to live in the past and look hopefully toward the score of the WC semi, hoping they can recreate that result and by some miracle snatch a victory.


It's better than the alternative knowing what is going to happen. Especially looking at the experimental squads the Boks put up against the Wallabies in the RC, not using their best team. That same Wallabies beat them last week.


Now the Boks isn't using an experimental squad. They put out as close to the strongest team the Boks have available at the moment. That must scare the pants off of them. If an experimental squad can destroy the Wallabies, what would the strongest team be able to do to the English?


Instead of sinking into dispear, they prefer to hope that their players can match the Boks. Even though they know what is coming. The English are scared and they won't show it.


Now imagine how Wales must feel knowing they are up next weekend? They don't even have the dubious record of at least close losses like the English. It's a complete nightmare for these 2 countries and rightly so.


The Boks usually take the pedal of the medal post WC's, but not this Bok team. They are better than the WC winning Boks of both '19 and '23. They are stronger up front. They are faster at the back. They can hit front and back. In broken play they are the most dangerous team. They have the best defence and attack also scoring the most tries.


In a way I feel sorry for both the English and Wales. Only those with blinders on expects a close game. Looking at both teams man to man, strategy to strategy, play to play, they are so outmatched it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. We need the NH to be strong and we need the gap to become closer in rugby so the game stay exciting because runaway scores sometimes is fun, but it doesn't bring as much joy as a close game won.

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