New Zealand coach Wayne Smith believes the Black Ferns are on track with around seven weeks to go before starting their defense at the Women’s World Cup on home soil, but still sees plenty of room for improvement.
The world champions scored eight tries to beat Australia 52-5 in Christchurch on Saturday to earn a fourth straight win of the year in their penultimate test ahead of their tournament opener against the same opponents on October 8 at Eden Park.
Smith, a highly respected former All Blacks assistant who parachuted into the job after last year’s miserable European tour, was pleased with an emphatic win but still saw concerns.
“I found the defense excellent, really positive, very aggressive, good line speed too,” he said.
“Actually a bit disappointed with the skill level. I think that’s going to be a real push next week to just get better. I don’t think our communication was that specific and we threw away quite a few attempts, I felt just by not executing.”
New Zealand have won the World Cup five times but were embarrassed by fast-improving sides England and France in four European Test defeats last November.
Smith said he enjoys the challenge of coaching the team.
“It’s no secret that I wasn’t really looking for the job,” he said. “I felt like I was caught in a little landslide. But sometimes you slide down a hill and you land on a pot of gold, and that’s how I feel.
“They are outstanding women, they care a lot, they’ve had to fight to get where they are and they don’t want to give up this jersey. They are a really special group.”
Smith has bled almost an entire starting team of new internationals in four Tests this year, which could complicate matters further when he sits down to select the World Cup squad after next week’s return against the Wallaroos in Adelaide.
“We have about 50[players]who had a crack,” he said. “It will be difficult, but I think it will be a win-win situation, you can’t pick a bad team from this crowd.”