Black Ferns’ DNA search already over for coach
The hunt for his team’s DNA is over almost before it began for Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting, in the wake of their impressive start to 2024.
On the back of a disappointing finish to his first season in charge, Bunting had admitted that, going into their Pacific Four Series at the weekend, he was still searching for what that DNA really looked like now for the reigning world champions, 15 months out from their World Cup defence.
Fast forward after 80 minutes of fun in the sun in Hamilton on Saturday, and a 57-5 demolition of the United States, and there was a much clearer picture formed for Bunting around how he indeed wants to mould his group going into next year’s global showpiece in England.
Asked, having watching his side run in nine tries through a mix of powerful through-the-middle carries, and some sublime pace and skill out wide, how long he might expect it to take to find that DNA, or how quickly he might like to uncover it, Bunting felt this performance had already sealed the deal.
“I think we got a fair idea of what it is,” he said, of what was the Ferns’ second-biggest win over the US in their last 11 meetings.
“When we do get quick ball, we go forward, and we play on top, and we’ve got some really good skills out there, and some exciting backs. So I think we know what it is now.”
The man in charge could hardly have asked for a better start to the season, as the Ferns bolted out of the gates, racing in for five tries and a 29-0 lead inside 16 minutes, bringing the 5583 at Waikato Stadium to their feet with ridiculous regularity.
Highlighting much of that excitement was a rapid hat-trick to Mererangi Paul, in a game where a woman more accustomed on the wing put her hand up in her first start at fullback, in the absence of Renee Holmes, who’s on the comeback from a hand injury.
“She’s elusive, she’s an exciting player, has got great skills, and she defended well today, too, so really happy with the way she played,” Bunting said of the 25-year-old, who now has 10 tries in six test appearances.
Elsewhere, Bunting noted his three debutants “really stood up”, with halfback Maia Joseph getting a comfortable ride behind a dominant pack, as well as sending the chipped cross-kick for Paul’s hat-trick try, while lock Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu barged over for a five-pointer of her own, and Hannah King came off the bench and also got on the scoresheet with some nicely-slotted conversions.
“I thought they brought amazing impact into our team,” co-captain Kennedy Simon concurred... “they jobs, and they did well.
“It’s pretty incredible, you can’t let up, because someone’s always coming for you, coming for the jersey, and that’s just the way we want it.”
After what Bunting summed up as “a really pleasing start for us”, where he was able to see things from the training field come to fruition at the first match-day opportunity, he knew there was work to do on some discipline and new things the team are working on on defence − even though they held strong near their line on several occasions − ahead of next Sunday’s match in Christchurch against Canada, who beat Australia 33-14 in Sydney later on Saturday.
“Canada are a good team, they’ve got some really good forwards that work really hard, and some exciting backs, too,” he said.
“And it looks like they’re kicking it a little bit more and trying to grow their game, so next week will be a really good challenge for us.” did their their jobs