Lucy Jenkins: Football Ferns forward ahead of the team's clash against Australia

Ahead of the Football Ferns' clash with Australia, forward Lucy Jenkins joined Piney to discuss the team's chances.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from news Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
To National Rugby hits, Bellymore and Brisbane this afternoon as
the Black Ferns take on Australia for the second time
in twenty twenty four to four o'clock kickoff. Among the
Black Ferns reserves this afternoon, loose forward Lucy Jenkins right
for fighting.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
The Haacollo and space and now rover.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Lucy Jenkins, who's got plenty of speed and gets to
get to the line. And Lucy Jenkins. Lucy Jenkins, wea
us on Weekend Sport. Thanks for taking the time. Lucy.
Your debuted for New Zealand and played six Test matches
last year. This though was your first test of twenty
twenty four. So how much you're looking forward to getting
back into that black jersey.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, yeah, I'm hugely excited to get the black jersey
back on. Obviously missed out and Pat four probably wasn't
playing at my best during said rugby, so so it
was understandable and worked my way back in the Yeah,
very excited.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Tell us about your build up towards this afternoon's game, Lucy,
what's the week consisted of.

Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yes, if I we've just had a couple of training days,
bit of extra rest this week. This was the travel
sort thing called doing a little bit of slight thing
in Brisbome, but massive training day Thursday, a bit of
a hit out against each other and then we'll prepare
for a tough game.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
So you played Australia in Albany or at Albany in May,
Black Fern's comfortable sixty seven nineteen winners that day. How
do you make sure that complacency doesn't set and when
you're play an opponent you really should be quite comfortably.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Yeah, I guess we've got We've got a couple new
girls in there who are ready to bring some some
real energy. And yeah, I think I think we've done
a lot to adapt our game and work on some
things that we wanted to improve on. But yeah, I
think we're just really excited to get out there and
see what we could do.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
What about your own game? How much did your own
game grow during your first experience in the Black Ferns
environment last year?

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, I think my games usually grew. Yeah, I think
I've worked on my defense a lot, and yeah, I
think just like my game understanding and how I can
I guess I'm used to the people who I play
with that provincial and so regularly well, but just really
adapt into playing with the new set of girls and
how I can play with them. My best.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
One thing a lot of people notice about the way
you play the game is your work rate, you know,
on both sides of the ball. How much do you
pride yourself on that?

Speaker 3 (02:35):
Yeah? Yeah, for me, that's kind of my certain power.
That's my that's my number one. If I can do
something or even if I'm coming off the bench or starting,
if I can do something to bring some energy to
the team and when they're fatigued, and how I can
lift the team up. That's something I really pry myself on.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
And you are among the reserves this afternoon. So as
an impact player, you know, with a shorter space of
time to impact the game, does that energy and work
great become perhaps even more important?

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, yeah, I'd say a little bit. But yeah, whether
I'm playing eighty minutes or ten minutes, I think, oh,
I try to bring that samely more of intensity as
much as I couss we can, So yeah, it doesn't
matter too much for me.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Has the balance that you strike between working on defense
and working on attack also improved during your time with
the Black Funds.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, I really love like I've always loved attack, but
for me defenses. Yeah, it's a massive opportunity to get
the ball back and if I can add my line
speed and really shut down defense, that has something I
really enjoy these days.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
I read that you watched the twenty twenty two World
Cup Final from the stands of Eden Park with a
dramatic car win for the Black Funds over England. Watching that,
how much did that motivate you to push for the
black jersey yourself in twenty twenty three.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah, it was huge for me. I mean I've I've
wanted a black jersey since I was about Stephens, So yeah,
it definitely feeled me a little bit. But just like
having videos of like the crowd and it was, Yeah,
it was an amazing experience to be there and watch
them win it. So yeah, it was cerdainly motivating.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
And talking of big occasions, the Blackfounds will play England
at Twickenham in September, set to be a sell out there,
another historic occasion. How keen are you to be involved
in that?

Speaker 3 (04:15):
Yeah? Oh, That would be an absolute dream for me,
someone who Yeah, I've been involved in writing something about
four years old, so yeah, Twickenham's a pretty big one.
So yeah, that'll be an awesome opportunity if I could
be there.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah, all right, Well, in the meantime, all the best
of this afternoon. Does the Black Ferns take on Australia.
Thanks for taking the time, Lucy, good to jet, Thank
you very much, Thank you, Lucy, Lucy Jenkins. There the
Black Ferns against Australia and Brisbane at four o'clock this afternoon,
New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
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