Kiwi Ferns v Fetu Samoa result: New Zealand dominate clash to reach Women’s Rugby League World Cup final
Influential centre Stacey Waaka starred with a hat-trick as the Kiwi Ferns claimed a commanding 32-0 victory over Fetu Samoa, booking their place in a seventh Women’s Rugby League World Cup final.
The Ferns were forced to work hard for the result despite Samoa being kept scoreless, with the breakthrough coming late as New Zealand found another gear in the final 15 minutes, running in four tries to put the contest beyond doubt.
New Zealand will now await the winner of Sunday’s clash between Australia and Fiji, with the unbeaten Jillaroos heavy favourites to set up a blockbuster World Cup decider against the Ferns.
The Kiwi Ferns are chasing their fourth World Cup title, with their last triumph coming in 2008.
If they are to win, Waaka holds the key, with her hat-trick taking her to eight tries for the tournament, while Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Raecene McGregor form a strong halves combination.
Co-captain Georgia Hale said the most pleasing aspect of the semi-final performance was the team’s defensive effort, with the Ferns holding Samoa scoreless.
“I think that’s what I’m most proud of. It didn’t really matter how many points we scored, it was more the fact that we kept them out,” Hale told Sky Sport.
“Samoa are physical and we knew there was going to be a contest today, but the way our girls just dug in and defended our line, it was like we were playing at home today.
“The big goal is to win the Rugby League World Cup and that is getting to the grand final next week, so we’re very excited for that.”
There was plenty of expectation heading into the contest after the two sides produced a thriller in their previous meeting, with New Zealand forced to overcome a 20-point deficit before escaping with a 22-20 victory.
The Kiwi Ferns made the perfect start, with Mackenzie Wiki crossing in the opening minute, but Samoa had opportunities to stay in the contest as New Zealand struggled to build pressure through unforced errors.
However, Samoa were unable to capitalise, with their own handling mistakes and a lack of execution preventing them from turning possession into points.
Waaka extended New Zealand’s lead before halftime, giving the Ferns an 8-0 advantage at the break, before striking again shortly after the restart to push the margin to 14-0.
With the match still in the balance, the Ferns finally broke Samoa’s resistance in the closing stages, with Mele Hufanga, Kaiyah Atai, Waaka and Raecene McGregor all crossing to complete a dominant semi-final victory.
The Ferns won the first three Women’s Rugby League World Cups in 2000, 2003 and 2008, but since then Australia have led the way, winning the last three tournaments.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.