Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen has steered New Zealand to a 28-14 victory over France in Lyon despite missing captain Ruahei Demant. The win prepares the undefeated squad for their upcoming Test match against Scotland in Edinburgh.
Loose-forward Liana Mikaele-Tu’u delivered a standout performance alongside tries from Mererangi Paul, Mia Anderson, and Justine McGregor to secure the win. Demant remains sidelined with a calf injury sustained against Springboks Women in Soweto. Hannah King stepped in at fly-half, with Maia Joseph operating at halfback to guide the backline. Addressing the tactical adjustments made without Demant on the field, Hansen explained: “We recognised at the start of this year that we needed to grow some other leadership around that, and we couldn’t be reliant on that. And South Africa, ironically, was an example of that.”
Leadership dynamics have adapted quickly under Hansen’s direction. Demant continues to contribute off the pitch while King gains vital experience controlling matches. Hansen praised the captain’s attitude during her recovery process: “And that’s often the question that I get asked from someone who gets selected, and that’s a pretty special thing about this space. So there’s still huge belief that she brings and instils in the group as a leader, although she’s not on the field.”
New Zealand now turn their attention to Edinburgh before taking on England in their Northern Hemisphere campaign. Building tactical depth across the squad remains vital for the coaching staff. Hansen expressed gratitude for the challenging calendar arranged for her team: “Yeah, like just our roster in general for this year, we’re super grateful for New Zealand Rugby’s work, [it was] really hard for us to get those games, and I think it’s the same with back to that France test at the end of the year that we had.”
The upcoming Test match against Scotland at Hive Stadium provides an ideal platform to evaluate squad depth. Hansen confirmed that team selection will balance rotation with performance standards: “And I think the Scotland game gives us a really cool opportunity to be able to potentially give some minutes to those that haven’t had a lot either, while still keeping that consistency.”
