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Jettison antonym3/8/2023 The irony, of course, is that Smith and his old mates have been presiding over exactly that sort of makeover with the Black Ferns in recent months. It is still possible they can enjoy a half-decent autumn but a predictable, painting-by-numbers approach will not secure many major titles. Otherwise the English backs again struggled for collective fluency and midfield balance, made worse by their team’s penalty count. The Pumas soaked it up, kicked their penalties and, when the chance came, launched a quite outstanding backline strike move which ultimately tilted the contest.Įngland, not for the first time, seemed so hung up on the nuts and bolts of their gameplan that instinct and rhythm played scant part until Jack van Poortvliet, having just come on as a replacement, spotted a little gap and sniped through for a fine try reminiscent of Aaron Smith against Wales the day before. England had significantly more possession and territory but mostly did little with it beyond deploying individual runners, rugby league style, to bash into Argentinian brick walls. Twickenham on Sunday offered a classic case study. If the Black Ferns are the only team with their heads up, scanning for the best available options and thinking for themselves, there is a risk that England’s close-quarter prowess could be undermined. What is vital, though, is that the Red Roses keep an open mind. No one is suggesting England should toss the ball around, sevens style, and adopt a loose game that would play straight into New Zealand hands. As well as propelling England into the final, Claudia MacDonald’s dancing feet and Abby Dow’s subsequent wonder dash were a reminder that pace can turn big games as much as power. With Canada proving both physical and dynamic, it was just as well for the Red Roses that they had a different breed of match winner out wide. The snag, as illustrated by last weekend’s semi-finals, is that champion sides tend to need more flexibility than that. The obvious way to go, after 30 consecutive Test wins, is straight up the guts in the expectation their set piece strength and carrying power will stop the Black Ferns at source. The Red Roses will be loth to jettison what has worked so well for them in Saturday’s sold-out final. Which brings us to the dilemma currently facing, among others, both the English women’s and men’s national teams. Such things do not always unfold with a click of the fingers, however, and abandoning a long-established gameplan at the 11th hour is risky. In 1991 England had one of the world’s strongest men’s packs but decided the final against Australia at Twickenham was the moment to try to expand their horizons. Occasionally some teams panic and lurch the other way. Tiredness, apprehension, a sense of how much is at stake … all of it inhibits players and encourages them to go into their shells.Ībby Dow demonstrates her electric pace to score a sensational try during England’s semi-final success against Canada. A lot of teams – not least the 2011 All Blacks – simply aim to cling on to what they have and start to play in the most risk-averse way possible. Look back at most finals and the opposite is frequently true. “They’ve got heart and they’ll give it a crack.” It might prove insufficient in a final against a strong English pack but the rejuvenated Black Ferns are committed to giving it a go. He wants them to stay true to their attacking instincts and play without fear. Smith, 65 and on his final elite coaching sortie, has essentially instructed his players to abandon the overly structured straitjacket that constrains many teams. To have made a World Cup final from such unpromising foundations is almost as impressive as the refreshing ethos driving it. Earlier this year the Black Ferns were in disarray, having been humiliated by England on the field last autumn and rocked by an excoriating subsequent review into how the players had been treated. Most interesting of all is the nature of the heist Smith and co are attempting to pull off.
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