Black Ferns favouritism sits easily with players

New Zealand are heavily favoured to claim a third successive women's World Cup by beating England in Canada this morning and the weight of expectation is sitting easily on their shoulders.

Lock Victoria Heighway said continuing their winning run at World Cups, which now sits at 13 matches, was providing motivation ahead of a final showdown most had predicted.

"We are quite used to the pressure, I think we thrive upon it," said Aucklander Heighway, who scored her first try for the Black Ferns in their impressive 40-10 semifinal defeat of France at Edmonton on Wednesday.

"We actually put pressure on ourselves to continue to improve and I think that outweighs the pressure from anything else."

Heighway will be playing in her second cup final, having figured in their 19-9 final defeat of England four years ago in Barcelona.

The memory of that match gives her goosebumps.

"The last World Cup final was very tense, very nerve-racking, and I don't think we really sealed the game until right near the end, so it is not often you get in a position where it can go either way.

"But I think we have got a better team again this year and we have sort-of increased our skill set so hopefully we can put that together on the field. We know it will be tough; England will come out fighting."

Fellow-forward Rochelle Martin is chasing a third crown but was trying to put that out of her mind.

"One step at a time pretty much through from here until that final whistle goes," she said.

Heighway and Martin are pivotal members of a Black Ferns pack who need to at least match the bigger England forwards to allow their sparkling backs to shine.

"We have worked really hard with our forwards this year," Martin said.


Women's World Cup Final

* New Zealand v England
* Live on TV3, 11am today

- NZPA