Black Ferns 19 Canada 22 After the highs of their 57-5 win over USA last weekend, the Black Ferns have been brought crashing back to Earth. In the second match of their Pacific Four series campaign in Christchurch on Sunday, the Black Ferns were beaten by Canada 22-19. It was the first time in 18 tests between the two that Canada got the better of their New Zealand counterparts, and it was a win the Northerners thoroughly deserved.
The result also saw Canada claim the Pacific Four series title, already having beaten USA and Australia. The Black Ferns struggled throughout the fixture with their discipline, and with the Canadians defending well, the hosts’ attack at times looked panicked and out of sync as they struggled to create gaps in the Canadian line. The breakdown was a key area for the visitors, who brought a physical challenge to their hosts and won the ball through their counter-ruck a few times; often simply being quicker to get numbers there.
It was a similar performance to the second half of the Black Ferns’ win over the United States, where discipline and errors did the Black Ferns no favours and they found themselves under pressure for large parts. The tone was set in the opening exchanges when Canada knocked on immediately from the kick-off, but defended well and the Black Ferns ultimately turned the ball over through an illegal clean-out. The Black Ferns had chances but didn’t capitalise; Canada never lost their composure on defence when the Black Ferns d.