New Zealand, at home, conquered their sixth world title in women's rugby on Saturday, in a sold-out Eden Park in Auckland, by struggling to overcome England (34-31) in a spectacular final and intense.
This new victory of the “Black Ferns”, in a match with eleven tries, at the same time stops the series of 30 consecutive successes of the “Red Roses”, first in the world ranking.
Their last defeat dated back to July 2019 against … New Zealand.
Ruby Tui's teammates thus retain their title, won in 2017 against ... England, world champion in 2014.
The bronze medal of the competition went to France, victorious over Canada (36-0) a little earlier, during a one-way match.
A beautiful final
In a high-intensity match, under a rain of tries, New Zealand and England put on a show: spectacular rugby, with suspense, tension and play, delighting the 42,579 spectators at Eden Park, the new record for this mythical stadium for a women's rugby match.
The English were reduced to fourteen in the 18th minute after winger Lydia Thompson was shown a red card for an uncontrolled tackle on Kiwi winger Portia Woodman, who was then injured.
With unlucky kickers on both sides, Emily Scarratt on the English side and Renée Holmes on the Kiwi side, each team could only count on its most offensive players.
Very quickly, the English wanted to leave their mark on this final, with a try scored in the third minute by their back Ellie Kildune.
England penalized
Following, and thanks to their science of carried balls and a remarkable pack of forwards, the "Red Roses" continued, the hooker Amy Cokayne signing the first (13th) of her three tries, quickly imitated by the third row Marlie Packer (21st).
The New Zealanders then recovered, first by hooker Georgia Ponsoby (18th), then by winger Ayesha Leti-l'iga (25th), barely back in place of Woodman.
The debates began to balance out, each team surrendering blow for blow: after a second try from Cokayne (32nd), the fourth already on the English side, the "Black Ferns" responded with pillar Amy Rhule (40th), allowing locals to pick up the score at half-time (26-19 for the English).
Total suspension
No time to breathe for the public of Eden Park, white-hot, and the New Zealanders chained two tries, by their center Stacey Fluhler (41st) then by their substitute hooker Krystal Murray (49th), to pass in front on the bulletin board (29-26).
Ruby Tui's teammates then seemed to take the game in hand, but England, through Cokayne, again (54th), gave the English two points lead (31-29, 54th).
The last minutes of the meeting were punctuated by tensions between players, until the test of the deliverance signed Ayesha Leti-l'iga, for her double (71st) and the victory (34-31), making the spectators exult .
