AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- After six weeks of exciting, high-octane, entertaining rugby, the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final is finally upon us, with tournament favourites England set to face off against hosts New Zealand in a match that will determine who is the world's best women's rugby team.
It's been dubbed the battle of the northern hemisphere vs. southern hemisphere rugby styles. One, a tight, lineout driven game plan that relies on a powerful forward pack. The other, a hectic, free-flowing style labelled 'chaotic' several times in the lead-up to the final. Who comes out on top? We'll have to wait to find out.
For England, this final has been five years in the making. Stunned by the Black Ferns in 2017 at Belfast -- where they were also World Cup favourites -- England has been patiently waiting to enact their revenge, becoming a well-oiled, efficient driving maul machine in the lead up.
It would be remiss not to mention the incredible unbeaten record they've created along the way, winning 30 matches on the trot -- almost doubling the 18-Test winning run the All Blacks enjoyed in 2016 -- which all began back in 2019 when the Red Roses last lost to the Black Ferns in San Diego.
New Zealand, meanwhile, had a build-up nothing like their rivals. Touring England and France at the end of 2021, the Black Ferns were trounced in all four matches, including two record losses against the Red Roses. It sent shockwaves through New Zealand Rugby [NZR] and served as a wake-up call of just how far off the pace the Black Ferns were a year out from the delayed tournament.
Returning to New Zealand, a review into the culture surrounding the team was quickly undertaken with instances of favouritism, body-shaming and a lack of cultural sensitivity unearthed. As a result, head coach Glen Moore resigned from his position just months out from the World Cup.
Responding to an SOS call from NZR, one of New Zealand's greatest ever coaches Wayne Smith took on the challenge and began turning the Black Ferns into the high-flying, expansive beasts we've seen throughout the tournament.
With over 42,000 fans ready to pack into Eden Park on Saturday night, the stage is set for what's sure to be one of the most exciting women's rugby Tests ever witnessed.
Kick off: Eden Park, Auckland, 7:30pm NZT Saturday; 5:30pm AEDT; 6:30am GMT.
Line-ups:
The Black Ferns have been forced to make one change to their starting side with No. 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u ruled out through a thumb injury sustained in the semifinal. Her replacement, Charmaine McMenamin, has moved straight into the starting side with co-captain Kennedy Simon coming off the bench again.
Meanwhile, England coach Simon Middleton has made a few changes of his own. Losing fullback Helena Rowland to an ankle injury, Middleton has brought Ellie Kildunne into the starting side with Lydia Thompson moving onto the wing, Holly Aitchison pushing into the centres and Tatyana Heard and Claudia MacDonald named among the replacements.
New Zealand: Renee Holmes, Ruby Tui, Stacey Fluhler, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Portia Woodman, Ruahei Demant, Kendra Cocksedge, Charmaine McMenamin, Sarah Hirini, Alana Bremner, Chelsea Bremner, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, AmyRule, Georgia Ponsonby, Phillippa Love. Replacements: Luke Connor, Krystal Murray, Santo Taumato, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Kennedy Simon, Ariana Bayler, Hazel Tubic, Ayesha Leti-l'iga.
England: Ellie Kildunne, Lydia Thompson, Emily Scarratt, Holly Aitchison, Abby Dow, Zoe Harrison, Leanne Infante, Sarah Hunter, Marlie Packer, Alex Matthews, Abbie Ward, Zoe Aldcroft, Sarah Bern, Amy Cockayne, Vickii Cornborough. Replacements: Lark Davies, Maud Miller, Shaunagh Brown, Cath O'Donnell, Poppy Cleall, Sadia Kabeya, Claudia MacDonald, Tatyana Heard.
NORTHERN VS. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Labelled incredibly "efficient" by Smith, the Red Roses forward-heavy game plan has garnered plenty of fans but just as many detractors. Blasted as 'boring' by some pundits, England's heavily structured, set-piece driven game has been at the forefront of discussions in the lead up to the match.
Forced to defend themselves multiple times throughout the tournament, Middleton laughed off the criticism of the way his team had gone about bullying and rumbling over their opposition, while the question had clearly become tiresome for fly-half Zoe Harrison who told ESPN "we don't really care for what other people have to say about it".
So well constructed and effective is their maul that 24 of the Red Roses' 38 tries have been scored off the back of their lineout, and it again looms as a weapon on Saturday night, while England lock Abbie Ward described the many set-piece calls as a 'lineout menu'.
"I've lost count of items that are on the menu," Ward told BBC Radio during the week. "We change our menu -- we have specials.
"It's important we have different options we can go to depending on who we're playing, who is on our lineout and playing to our strengths."
A style of game loved by many in the northern hemisphere, England's approach has plenty of detractors down south, namely New Zealand, where a wild, free-flowing game is part of their DNA.
It's exactly how the Black Ferns have gone about the tournament and have received plenty of praise along the way, with more and more fans embracing the excitement the team brings to the pitch.
With an explosive back three in Portia Woodman -- the tournament's leading try scorer -- Ruby Tui and Renee Holmes, the Black Ferns have hot-stepped their way to 38 tries themselves, many of them off incredible intuitive efforts, while the team often treats the ball like a hot-potato, popping passes left, right and centre as they made their way to becoming the leading offloaders across the tournament.
"We are exciting, we play an exciting game plan you just don't know what we're gonna do 'cause we don't know what we're gonna do," Black Ferns hooker Georgia Ponsonby said of their game. "I think that's really cool."
Hinting earlier in the tournament that England had their own attacking edge out wide, fans were given a slight taste in their semifinal win over Canada when MacDonald and Abby Dow linked up to produce an incredible 105m try-scoring effort.
England captain Sarah Hunter believes her side is ready for anything the chaotic Black Ferns throw at them.
"They've got their brand of rugby and they call that chaos and we've lived and we've tried to replicate different scenarios, like chaos, intensity, playing at a level that is above match intensity all these things over the last 18 months to two years to prepare us for when we come up against teams like New Zealand," Hunter said on Thursday.
"I think we're probably just as used to it as they are and I feel like we're as prepared as we could ever be to face a team like New Zealand."
RECORD MAKERS AND BREAKERS
So far, this tournament has been all about making and breaking records. To open the World Cup, the largest women's rugby crowd of over 34,000 people turned up at Eden Park; that record will be broken with over 42,000 tickets sold for Saturday's final.
A record one million people are reported to have tuned in across New Zealand to watch the Black Ferns' hectic semifinal clash against France, no doubt that number will be matched if not bettered this weekend. Attendance records across the six weeks have also been smashed with over 140,000 people attending games in Auckland and Whangerai.
But perhaps the most important records to keep note of ahead of the weekend involve the two teams taking to the pitch on Saturday night.
As already noted, England's incredible unbeaten run smashes any previous rugby mark and had Smith praising Middleton -- "there's not enough platitudes for what he's done"-- adding a win streak of 30 games makes England "the best team of all time, probably".
But all that is on the line come Saturday night. Either the Red Roses extend the run to 31, winning a World Cup in the process and cementing themselves as the best rugby team ever, or the streak comes to an end, their first defeat in three years, at the hands of a long-time rival.
While the number can't compare, the Black Ferns have their own record they will be desperate to defend. Well known as a happy hunting ground for the All Blacks, where they haven't lost a Test in close to 30 years, Eden Park has become a happy venue for the Black Ferns as well.
Unbeaten at the "fortress" as it's described ahead of All Blacks' games, the Black Ferns are on a 10-game run going back two decades with another win to add to the aura of what's dubbed as the home of New Zealand rugby and a record sixth World Cup title to add to their trophy cabinet. A loss though, in front of a sold-out crowd, will be absolutely devastating for the Black Ferns.
As the clocks tick down to kick-off, the mind games are well underway with Middleton attempting to put all the pressure on the Black Ferns.
"It will be more intimidating for them. To lose in front of your home crowd is a tough gig. So the pressure on them is absolutely massive," England's coach said.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
There's already so much riding on this game for both teams; a sixth title for the Black Ferns or revenge and more history for the record books for England, but if you zoom out from the focus of the action on the pitch this game means so much more for women's rugby.
The biggest women's Rugby World Cup ever played out, the impact the tournament has on women's rugby in New Zealand and around the world will be hard to measure; whether that be increased playing numbers, crowd attendances, articles written, or stories read, there is no doubt the past six weeks have shown the power and opportunities for growth right across the world.
Following the Black Ferns' press conference on Thursday, Ruby Tui thanked the dozens of media that had packed into the room -- the most media she'd done as a fifteens player she quipped -- for "changing our lives".
"I just want to say thank you to everybody who's in this room, all the media outlets, you guys probably just do this for your job and for your money, but you're actually changing our lives and giving us pay slips. So thank you so much," Tui said.
While England have enjoyed the benefits of being a professional squad for several years and the Black Ferns became the highest paid women's players at the start of this year, the focus has now shifted squarely to national bodies around the world to make sure they catch up.
"I hope that all the nations that are here that don't already invest as much as England Rugby do realise that that's where the women's game needs to go globally," Hunter said after her semifinal.
Preparing for her third World Cup final and a chance to make up for her 2017 heartbreak, England flanker Marlie Packer took a step back from it all and reflected on what her team wants to achieve through their actions on the pitch.
"Even though this game is about us, there's a bigger picture to all of this," Packer told ESPN. "We want to show the best women's rugby match at Eden Park in front of a sell-out crowd and we want to inspire young girls and boys to pick up the ball and get involved at grassroots, but also older people to go down to their local club.
"The enjoyment you get getting out there, the fitness, finding new friends. I want to inspire all ages to get involved because the sport's given me so much and I think it can give so much to so many people.
"When I was younger, I didn't see it so I didn't know I could do it. I didn't know I could be an England rugby player, but now you can see it, believe it and you can do it, so that's what I want and I want to do that and I want to walk away with a gold medal at the end of day on Saturday."
Prediction:
Structure vs. chaos. Lineout mauls vs. backline explosiveness. Both teams enter the match with opposite styles and points of view. Middleton happy to rely on his devastating forward pack; Smith breaking the shackles and welcoming intuitive, heads-up rugby. It all points towards an interesting, and highly entertaining battle that is poised to go down to the wire.
The largest crowd either side has ever played in front of, the Eden Park fortress will have its effect on both sides, whether that be by helping the Black Ferns rise to the occasion or in lifting England to the challenge. Both enjoying winning records, Saturday is set to be a blockbuster, and while the Black Ferns have turned a corner since their northern tour last year, it's hard to see New Zealand finding a way to nullify England's highly effective rolling maul.
Tip: England by 5