Hansen drafts in Bayle and Love as injuries disrupt Black Ferns ahead of Wallaroos clash

Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen has been forced into two late changes ahead of Saturday’s Test against the Wallaroos at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, with halfback Tara Turner and prop Mo’omo’oga Palu both ruled out through injury.

Palu, who plays for Matatu, sustained a concussion during last Friday’s trial match against the Black Ferns XV in Upper Hutt — a game the Black Ferns won 62-19 — while Blues halfback Turner picked up a hamstring injury in the same fixture. Hansen has called in halfback Ariana Bayle and tighthead prop Pip Love, both capped Black Ferns, to fill the void.

“They’re just in for this week,” Hansen confirmed to media. “It’s great to have the experience of previous Black Ferns who are in this space to come back in and give back. And I think, both having outstanding performances in Super Rugby Aupiki, [they’re] well deserved for being in here. We talked about people being good enough to be here that weren’t initially, and they’re two that very much are that.”

The Wallaroos arrive in Auckland without a permanent head coach in place, with Sione Fukofuka not officially taking the reins until January 2027. Despite that uncertainty on the Australian side, Hansen insists the real pressure her team faces is self-imposed rather than external.

“I think for us, to be honest, the biggest pressure will always come from ourselves,” Hansen explained. “We’ve got a really clear identity on how we want to play the game and a real emphasis and pressure and expectation we put on ourselves to perform that. That’ll always be far greater than any external measure or pressure or outcome.”

Saturday’s match in Auckland is the first fixture in a demanding international stretch for the Black Ferns. Following the Wallaroos clash, Hansen’s side will travel to South Africa to feature in a double-header alongside the All Blacks in Johannesburg on 5 September.