Analysis - A few days after the end of the All Blacks' and Black Ferns' season, it's not so much a case of dust settling as nuclear fallout.
Dalton Papalii took massive strides as the most dependable forward across the tests he played, Jamie Wall writes. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
In a macabre sort of way, it's heartening to see people in New Zealand care so deeply about their representative teams, but at the same time points to a long period of unease before both teams are back in action.
Somehow both are still ranked number two in the world respectively, which neither deserve, but what have we learned from this disastrous last set of test matches?
There were bright spots for the All Blacks
Before we get too gloomy, there were some standouts on this tour. Will Jordan is blessed with Christian Cullen-like talent, scoring the individual try of the year in Cardiff, while Dalton Papalii took massive strides as the most dependable forward across the tests he played.
Finlay Christie and Brad Weber showed that the depth at halfback is strong, while if Samisoni Taukei'aho can carry on his form through Super Rugby he will make a serious case for being the starting hooker. Jordie Barrett let himself down in the final test, but his goal kicking saved the last two scorelines being more severe.
A bit dimmer for the Black Ferns
It's pretty hard to take any positives out of their winless tour, other than that England and France's home crowds will send a message to NZ Rugby about what needs to be done if the World Cup next year is to be a success.
Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Ayesha Leti-Iiga, and Liana Mikaele-Tu'u were probably the only ones who saw decent game time and left with their reputations enhanced (even though Roos was yellow carded in the last test), while others like Ariana Bayler and Georgia Ponsonby looked promising in the brief periods we saw them.
Ayesha Leti-Iiga is one of a small number of Black Ferns who can be pleased with their tour, Jamie Wall writes. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
Experienced players didn't step up
Samuel Whitelock and Brodie Retallick were below their best when they were needed the most, and Richie Mo'unga didn't take his chance.
Kendra Cocksedge's form was well below that expected of the 57-test veteran, which made Glenn Moore's persistence with her hard to understand, while Chelsea Alley and Kelly Brazier were little more than warm bodies.
Discipline is key
Codie Taylor and Ardie Savea's binnings in the last two tests played a part in the All Blacks losing both Tests. But that paled in comparison to the Black Ferns' lack of knowledge of even the most basic laws of the game, which was flat out embarrassing at times and resulted in them being down by big margins before halftime in each test.
The issues go from top to bottom
The key All Black storyline now is Ian Foster's employment status, but really it should be a discussion about the whole coaching staff. It's especially embarrassing for NZ Rugby given how much it cost them to release Brad Mooar from his contract with Welsh club Scarlets.
Black Ferns coach Moore is probably safe in his job, as the precedent set with Foster's contract extension is presumably the same for him and there are a litany of reasons to fall back on. While there are legitimate failings higher up around the Black Ferns programme and women's rugby in general, they were exposed in the first Test but had certainly been at least equalled by the problems of the team itself by the fourth.
You don't need to be getting paid $45,000 a year to win your own lineout, effect a proper kick chase or know the rules. Moore admitted that conditioning was an issue, but needn't have bothered because that was obvious from the start.
Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photosport Ltd 2018
All Blacks set a new record
Not so much the 101 tries, more the unprecedented number of excuses rolled out by Foster, which have included playing too many Tests (one more than in 2018 and one fewer than 2017) and that they have a better record than the Springboks and Wallabies (in July the Boks played a Lions series and the Wallabies had a very competitive France, while the All Blacks played Tonga and Fiji, then there was the USA, understrength Wales and Italy fixtures - won with a combined score of 424-75).
Some history lessons wouldn't hurt
There was also constant talk of how long and arduous this 'tour like no other' was, when in fact it was more or less the same situation as the other Southern Hemisphere teams at the same time, and that was before the All Blacks had even left Australia.
This chat conveniently overlooked the fact that several senior players joined the team at that point and two more got suspiciously lucky with the MIQ lottery to return home. It's also about the same length of an amateur era tour when players were leaving their jobs and farms behind as well as their families, but the All Blacks being clueless about their own past has been a theme in 2021.
Dejected All Blacks after they were well beaten by France on Sunday. Photo: AFP
The Black Ferns as an agenda pushing vehicle
You used to be able to set your watch to the angry tweets that would be posted about the lack of media coverage of the Black Ferns compared to the All Blacks. Ever since the team started losing they've pretty much disappeared, though, which comes as no real surprise given most of those 'outraged' were clearly not even interested in rugby at all.
A more bilateral approach would give a better impression
The amount of social media interaction between each team on the tour: two tweets. Words spoken by each about each other in their press conferences: zero.
It speaks volumes, really.
