Black Ferns forced to dig deep

The New Zealand team get their hands on the trophy again after winning their third world cup title against England. Tim Smith / Getty Images

The one skill New Zealand rarely need carried them to a third World Cup women's rugby title in Canada yesterday.

The Black Ferns, who have dominated the international game for 15 years, defended like their lives depended on it to quell England in a closely fought final at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

Not only have New Zealand won 14 consecutive World Cup games, they have lost just one international match since 1991.

Yet yesterday's clash - one that is likely to bring the curtain down on a clutch of glittering careers - frayed nerves as a bigger English pack dominated possession and disrupted the usual free-flowing New Zealand game. It forced the Black Ferns to make countless tackles, something unfamiliar to them after four one-sided matches leading up to the final.

At the forefront was 41-year-old Anna Richards, the diminutive first five-eighths who hauled herself off the deck time and again holding another sore body part.

"Anna had an outstanding game," said Black Ferns coach Jed Rowlands from a jubilant dressing room. "For someone nearly 42 years of age, to throw herself around like she did, I'm blown away really. I've had some criticism about picking her but she's still the best first five around. Her experience can't be beaten."

Richards was one of five players in the starting 15 yesterday to taste success for a third time since the International Rugby Board sanctioned the women's World Cup in 1998.

The others were second five-eighths Exia Edwards, flanker Rochelle Martin, lock Monalisa Codling and hooker Farah Palmer.

Another five players were involved in the 2002 triumph in Barcelona, where New Zealand also beat England in the final, 19-9. Only captain Palmer has confirmed her retirement but she is likely to be joined by others.

Rowlands said experience was crucial yesterday as England clamped control and led 3-0 nearing the half-hour mark.

"We were under a lot of pressure, pressure that we hadn't been under and in some ways it makes the victory all the more sweeter because we had to guts it out," he said.

"I've had it pretty easy as a coach in the last few games, sitting back and seeing all the tries scored. I was hoping we could continue on and play the way we were but I knew deep down - and I've been in finals, even in club rugby - it's just different rugby. The intensity lifts from both sides."

New Zealand took a flattering 10-3 advantage into the break thanks to a Codling try against the run of play, galloping 40m to score from an offload by flanker Melissa Ruscoe.

A Ruscoe pass also set up the second try to winger Stephanie Mortimer a minute after halftime.

At 15-3 up, Palmer thought the result was theirs.

"It really lifted our spirits because our call at halftime was to be patient," she said. We've been used to scoring on breakaways but in this game we had to be patient because England played really well."

The powerful English scrum earned them a penalty try before the New Zealand forwards got their own back with a fine try to lock Victoria Heighway from a lineout drive with seven minutes remaining.

The game English drove reserve forward Helen Clayton over in the 80th minute but rather than clam up to defend a slender lead in injury time, the Black Ferns attacked and scored a fourth try to fullback Amiria Marsh.

England captain Jo Yapp believed her team of semi-professionals had closed the gap on the amateur-based New Zealand side.

"We'll look back and say it was a good final. We always believed we could do it and that belief was there until that final try," she said.

New Zealand romped through pool play, beating hosts Canada 66-7, Samoa 50-0 and Scotland 21-0 before downing France 40-10 in the semifinals.

Rowlands, yet to decide whether to remain as coach beyond this year, regretted the Black Ferns programme would probably enter another hiatus. He hoped a decent schedule could be arranged for 2007.

They arrive home tomorrow.

Cup finals

* 1991, Cardiff: United States 19 England 6 (NZ lost to US in semifinals)

* 1994, Edinburgh: England 38 USA 23 (NZ not entered)

* 1998, Amsterdam: New Zealand 44 United States 12

* 2002, Barcelona: New Zealand 19 England 9

* 2006, Edmonton: New Zealand 25 England 17 New Zealand 25 England 17

- NZPA