Is there something that may cease the Purple Roses of their present type? It’s a query that was requested two years in the past earlier than New Zealand answered it within the Rugby World Cup remaining, the place they ended England’s 30-match successful streak to raise the trophy. That sport was the final time England misplaced and they’re constructing a consecutive victory run once more, including a nineteenth with a formidable 49-31 win over the Black Ferns within the WXV 1, which suggests the query is being posed once more.
The Black Ferns had a degree to show after back-to-back defeats. The primary got here by the hands of the Purple Roses, who put one over their rivals three weeks in the past at Twickenham, and Eire precipitated an enormous upset with a slim victory final Sunday.
Regardless of the scoreline on Sunday, New Zealand demonstrated the hazard they current, notably via the No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker, who had a sensational sport. However the deadly England again three of Ellie Kildunne, Abby Dow and participant of the match Jess Breach – who scored seven tries between them, with Breach the hat-trick heroine – proved an excessive amount of for the world champions.
England’s head coach, John Mitchell, mentioned: “We’re very a lot a group that has developed right into a one assault group, so coming collectively cohesively in assault, everybody has a accountability. As you’ll be able to see we’re fairly comfy enjoying each side of the ruck.”
New Zealand made a ferocious begin and repeatedly hit the English defensive wall. The stress precipitated the Purple Roses to cough up a penalty and the Black Ferns opted for a scrum. Olsen-Baker peeled away from the bottom and steamrolled Natasha Hunt – a fend harking back to Jonah Lomu operating over Mike Catt within the 1995 Rugby World Cup – to open the scoring.
England responded by whipping the ball from left to proper and Kildunne shipped it over the pinnacle of Marlie Packer to search out Dow, whose tempo levelled the scores. The pace of the sport didn’t sluggish with each groups placing collectively some lovely attacking performs however neither had been medical sufficient to complete it off till Breach crashed over the whitewash. The centre Helena Rowland, who was given the kicking tee as a substitute of the fly-half Holly Aitchison, missed the conversion and had solely two profitable kicks.
Kildunne opened her account subsequent however then New Zealand’s personal lethal try-scorer Ayesha Leti-I’iga was over for her first rating since coming back from nearly two years on the sidelines with damage. Simply earlier than half-time Kildunne struck gold once more, England heading into the break 22-12 up.
Dow prolonged England’s lead early into the second half and Hunt’s intelligent considering added one other rating shortly after. She charged down a kick from Renee Houses and caught it to attain. If England weren’t already pulling away, Breach added one other to land an additional blow.
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New Zealand swung momentum of their path and compelled England to concede successive penalties. It led to some extended possession which ended with the hooker Georgia Ponsonby pulling two England defenders over the tryline to attain. The physicality within the match was not letting up and neither was the speedy tempo. Finish-to-end rugby noticed Olsen-Baker intercept a go by Aitchison, who then made a sensational break, and New Zealand recycled rapidly with Maiakawanakaulani Roos scoring. Tries from Breach, the substitute Zoe Harrison and the New Zealand substitute Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu rounded off the motion to deal the Black Ferns a 3rd defeat from three video games towards England previously 12 months.
On how New Zealand can enhance, the co-captain Ruahei Demant mentioned: “I believe it is a little more talent set and the benefit of that’s you’ll be able to train expertise. Issues like signing your receiver after we’re making breaks, as a substitute of 5 individuals screaming on the ball service, only one particular person. I hope we will implement that in our coaching this week and we will put out an 80-minute efficiency that we all know we’re able to, we’re happy with and our nation may be happy with.”
The victory for England units up a WXV 1 trophy decider towards Canada subsequent week. England lead the desk after additionally beating the USA, whereas Canada have additionally had an unbeaten begin with wins over France and Eire.
