Black Ferns 12
England 33
Ahead of their WXV 1 test against England, Black Ferns hooker Georgia Ponsonby said the key characteristics of the Six Nations sides were their physicality, consistency, and that they played for the full 80 minutes.
England lived up to that reputation in Auckland on Saturday night.
In the first meeting between the two sides since the Black Ferns triumphed in the World Cup final, England got their revenge with a 33-12 win at Mt Smart Stadium.
Both sides went into the contest with the chance of taking out the inaugural WXV 1 tournament; a fitting narrative for the final test of the round-robin tournament with the best team from the Pacific Four clashing with the best team from the Six Nations.
England took out that honour, while the Black Ferns finished fourth, behind Canada and Australia who both won their final matches of the tournament.
It was a tough way for the Black Ferns’ season to end, with England starving them of possession and putting them under immense pressure when they did have the ball.
Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and Kennedy Simon shone for the hosts in the contest, with as much intention in their ball carrying as was in the tackles they were making, while Ruby Tui loomed as a constant threat when the Black Ferns were able to get their attack going.
But the Red Roses tested the Black Ferns from the outset, using their physicality and patience to build phases and inch their way up the field.
Playing the game in the right areas, England shot out to a 14-0 lead in the opening 13 minutes; one try from an attacking scrum and the other from a lineout drive. When prop Sarah Bern extended that lead with a try from close range moments later, the Black Ferns found themselves facing a 19-0 deficit just 23 minutes into the game.
The Black Ferns looked rattled at times early in the game as England contained their attack and forced the hosts to kick possession away. They also had a couple of issues at the lineout.
But about 30 minutes into the game, things started to click for the Black Ferns. They started to make good metres in the carry and dictate the pace a bit more, while there was more intent in their counter-rucking as well.
They finally crossed the line just before halftime. A Mikaele-Tu’u charge from a scrum providing the platform for a Tui surge down the wing, before Simon finished things off nicely a couple of phases later.
The Black Ferns saw that lift in their play carry on into the second half, as they launched a few dangerous attacks early on. They got some reward for their effort too when Tui sent fellow wing Katelyn Vahaakolo over out wide from a sweeping move off a stalled lineout drive.
It put the hosts back within seven points, but England pushed their lead out again when Morwenna Talling barged over from about a metre out.
They went on with it from there, with a late try to Zoe Aldcroft seeing them make a statement against the world champions.
Black Ferns 12 (Kennedy Simon, Katelyn Vahaakolo tries; Renee Holmes con)
England 33 (Alex Matthews, Lark Atkin-Davies, Sarah Bern, Morwenna Talling, Zoe Aldcroft tries; Holly Aitchison 4 cons)
HT: 7-19
'It was scary. We were young … we didn't know how to handle it and it's changed us.'