Kiwi Ferns 92
France 0
The Kiwi Ferns have recorded their biggest-ever win, thrashing France 92-0 in their second group match in Christchurch to equal the record winning margin in Women’s Rugby League World Cup history.
It was a massacre at One New Zealand Stadium, with the Kiwi Ferns running in 18 tries. Apii Nicholls crossed for four, while Stacey Waaka and Mele Hufanga claimed hat-tricks.
Co-captain Raecene McGregor did an excellent job directing the team around the field, scoring a brace and laying on five try assists. The halfback left the field with 10 minutes to play and was icing her ankle on the bench, having been on the end of a hip-drop tackle.
Former Black Ferns Sevens star Tenika Willison also impressed on her Kiwi Ferns debut, crossing for two tries, while fellow debutant Chantay Kiria-Ratu had a personal haul of 22 points, with a try and nine conversions.
The victory surpassed the Kiwi Ferns’ previous biggest win, an 88-0 thrashing of France in 2013, while matching the Jillaroos’ 92-0 victory over the same opposition at the last World Cup.
“We went back to the drawing board after last week’s game,” McGregor told Sky Sport.
“We were a little bit disappointed with how we came away with that win. We worked really hard at training and I think it showed out there this weekend.
“Our plan was to go through the front door and I believe that we did that and we got some good offloads away and yeah, we were lucky to score so many tries.”
While the result was emphatic for New Zealand, it was another dismal display from France who found themselves on the wrong side of history once again.
The Kiwi Ferns had 74% possession and ran for 1782m. Compare that to France who completed just eight of their 15 sets while running for 314m.
France had first use of the ball, but dropped it on the third play of the game. The Kiwi Ferns scored with their first set through Mackenzie Wiki and didn’t look back.
The win all but ensures the Kiwi Ferns will qualify for the semi-finals. They meet Papua New Guinea in their final group match next weekend on the Gold Coast.
While it was a clinical display from the Ferns, ultimately this performance and many others this tournament haven’t been good for the international game.
Out of the eight games played through two weeks so far, only last week’s 18-12 win over Fiji for the Kiwi Ferns was decided by six points or fewer. The rest have all been won by margins of 36 or more.
This weekend alone, Samoa beat Wales 76-0, while Australia beat England 78-0.
Should the Kiwis Ferns beat PNG, they will finish top of Group B and would face face group A runner up, England or Samoa, in the semi-finals in Newcastle on November 7.
Kiwi Ferns 92 (Mackenzie Wiki 2, Stacey Waaka 3, Apii Nicholls 3, Chantay Kiria-Ratu, Raecene McGregor 2, Mele Hufanga 3, Kaiyah Atai, Tenika Willison 2 tries; Chantay Kiria-Ratu 9 con, Apii Nicholls con).
France 0
HT: 46-0
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.