Rugby Explorer | Italy

They were the better team for most of the Final in 2010, had the weaker starting 15 but by far the better bench in 2017 but were lucky to win in 2021 despite having been a player up for 50 minutes.

BC is being a little inflammatory. Woodman-Wickliffe would walk into the RWC training camp squad for any team, including the Red Roses. Whether she would make the final squad or the matchday 23 is less certain given the depth in the back three that England have.

But his second point is better made - the Black Ferns have lost 50% of their matches since the RWC2021 Final, including losses to Canada, Ireland and France and losing their games against England by an aggregate 55 points to 106. As I noted above, the Ferns have a remarkable record of pulling it together for the RWC, but Canada are one of the teams that can give them serious trouble. The Canadians’ power game has the potential to close down the Ferns’ possession, and without that Woodman-Wickliffe might not get a chance to make a difference.

Canada are still largely amateur, but many of their players have been playing in PWR in England this season and will have gained from the experience in terms of being in a professional coaching setup and a top level competition for a season.

Which reinforces my point that the article is a strange undervaluation of what the ‘good’ players add to an AB’s squad.

Agreed, awesome player!

The other obvious option I’ve seen suggested but largely ignored is to line up the mens super rugby draw to have 4 NZ teams and the 4 Australian teams clash that weekend, 2 games in Aus and 2 in NZ. (Moana and Drua can have their own pacific clash that weekend too). The country with most wins are overall winners that year. If its 2 all it goes to points differential, imagine the drama of a last minute try to win the ANZAC weekend for your country. No extra matches or stand-down periods and it would strengtern the super rugby rivalries. With improved Aussie teams the Aus vs NZ rugby rivalry is heating up again too, cash in on it!

Rugby doesn’t need more games, it needs a higher % of games that matter, with something at stake. ANZAC bragging rights in Super Rugby are just that.

Heck a Black Ferns, Wallaroos clash could even be the decider with the prime time spot, (to make it an odd number of games with a guaranteed result) wouldn’t that be great?

Well behind Finau if you want to put him up against an AB 6 for instance, and even further behind Parker. As apposed to those of CLW I posted above/below, he is a penalty magnet as well.

Agreed, he has, but personally for me his a little too similar to Rieko to pair them. I haven’t seen enough 13s in the comp that would go well with him, other than the slicker Cheifs ones of course. Quinn has intrigued with showing some variety in his options as the seasons gone, to start with he was in rampaging form. I like the play maker options of Jim and Higgins, Jim is a lot tougher than Jordie and better/more deft in the tight I reckon, has a cooler head on his shoulders, Higgins just straight up beats him on playmaking.. will we get a chance to see it? Jordies certainly not hear to take them on, so that’s a huge factor in favour of the local guys like Quinn.