Clinical. A word that can be heard on repeat as the black ferns prepare to face off France in Hamilton on Saturday in the first of three WXV Global Series Tests this October.
While the Black Ferns pushed the 2025 Rugby World Cup Champions England to the edge at Twickenham in September, there is a sense that he was thrown away.
Amy du Plessis was literally done with the clock down when her pass was intercepted by Zoe Harrison at 19-19. Earlier, England made 188 more tackles than the visitors, with Mererangi Paul’s try in the 70th minute to level the scores.
But to single out du Plessis’ mistake as the entire reason for the defeat would be unfair. Scoring the try and converting that kick in the 70th minute for Paul put the Black Ferns in a winning position. Indeed, had her pass gone to Mereranga Paul on her outside right, the result could have been very different. Paul is one of the best players in the game with 20 tries in 21 Tests.
“Clinical. It was drilled into us,” Paul told RugbyPass.
“We know what our individual role is, how to do it, so it’s up to us to achieve it. If we all do it well as individuals, we will succeed as a team.”
Accuracy was the biggest factor in the Black Ferns’ 28-14 win over France in Lyon in their WXV Global Series opener. Pragmatically, the black ferns played territory and prevailed.
In the 46th minute, Paul scored a try from a textbook play started by Georgia Ponsonby and Liana Mikaele-Tu’u.
“The forwards were great; they were pushing goals, stopping shots, putting pressure on them,” Paul said.
“I thought the forwards were going to go all the way on my attempt. Instead, the ball came out and Brax (Braxton Sorenson-McGee) fired it to me and I got away for a corner.”
“We looked at France. They are fast and unpredictable. You have to be physical and on the edge.”
France did not play New Zealand. Interestingly, they were even worse a week later against Australia.
In one of the most chaotic Tests ever at the Stade Maurice David in Aix-en-Provence, France were booked four times in 20 minutes, with Ambre Mwayembe, Lea Champon and Lea Murie all booked for high tackles.
Mwayembe’s was upgraded to a 20-minute red before Chloe Correa was shown red for gouging her eyes in the maul.
Still, down 19-0, France found a way to score three tries in the final 19 minutes to narrowly win 29-26, even after a second-half delay due to a nearby burning bus sending thick black smoke across the area.
Emilie Boulard, the brilliant counter-attacking full-back who won the 2021 World Rugby Try of the Year award, sparked a resurgence.
Canada they were expected to beat France in late September after holding England to a 26-26 draw. Instead, France shut down Canada with passionate, disciplined, clinical defense for a 21-5 victory.
Boulard scored two tries, Charlotte Escudero, who is absent New Zealand tour, made 21 tackles, the away line worked effectively and France struck 31 times to control the territory.
“It’s the French, right,” laughed Paul.
“You never know what you’re going to get.”
The Black Ferns and France have met 14 times since 1996, with New Zealand holding a 9-5 advantage. Their only two previous games in New Zealand were decided by one point.
In the 2022 Rugby World Cup semi-final at Eden Park, the Black Ferns won 25-24. The following year in Wellington, France won 18-17. Midfield back Gabrielle Vernier, another player set to be a vital figure in this series, fell to the Black Ferns’ first defeat in 16 Tests.
Paula’s first international against France was a 39-14 win in Vancouver 2024. She played strongly, although opposite wing Katelyn Vaha’akolo scored three tries. Paul was unlucky to miss out on the 2025 Rugby World Cup as she was injured just before selection.
In 2026, she was recalled due to Pacific Four Series in April. In the first Test under new coach Whitney Hansen, she scored three tries for the second time against USA in a 48-15 win at Sacramento. She scored again in the Black Ferns’ dominant 36-14 win against Canada in Kansas City, their first meeting since Canada knocked the Black Ferns out of that World Cup.
Although her form has been excellent for Chiefs Manawa in the Super Rugby Pacific In 2025, she moved to the Blues in 2026, scoring three tries in seven games and winning the title.
“It’s been a big year. We started the season with the Black Ferns, then we got into Aupiki and now we’re back in Test mode again,” said Paul.
“There was actually no break. For me personally, that was a good thing. I didn’t have a lot of time to think or do anything else. It allowed me to focus solely on my game and develop the areas that weren’t so strong.”
Meanwhile, the first test between the Black Ferns and France was held in 1996 in Edmonton, Canada. The Black Ferns won 109-0, with wing Vanessa Coutts scoring a world record nine Test tries.
However, the try she missed provided one of the funniest stories in women’s rugby history. Coutts, scorer of 43 tries in 16 Tests, including five in the Black Ferns’ 44-12 win over the USA in the 1998 Rugby World Cup final, takes up the story.
“I shot from our half and I didn’t have anyone in front of me going to the line. I remember hearing those stomping feet behind me.
“It was our halfback Kelly Kiwi behind me in support. She was a devil to keep up. I got to the 22 and the Kiwi was still there. I thought, okay, here we go, and she dropped it.”
