This was the most important women’s rugby game ever played and in some ways beat even that lofty billing. New Zealand are the Rugby World Cup champions, but only after a pretty impressive competition that showed why the tournament has captured the imagination of so many.
England will be heartbroken but played a full part in perhaps the best World Cup final ever.
It was also the Red Roses’ worst nightmare. This was a second heavy loss to the Black Ferns in consecutive World Cup finals and their first loss to anyone in 31 Tests. They were 14-0 up and into the first quarter, only to be reduced to 14 men after winger Lydia Thompson was shown a red card for a high challenge on standout Portia Woodman. In that ill-judged split second, everything changed.
Even in the final moments, however, there was one last shot at redemption. England, having been awarded a penalty, opted for a last line-up five meters out. For weeks, his drive has been virtually unstoppable and the stage was set. When it mattered most though, the ball ended up in grateful Kiwi hands and the defenders were safe.
‘One match doesn’t define you’: England proud despite World Cup final defeat – video
Given that England have had the benefit of full-time contracts for longer than any of their rivals, it must also be one of the great managerial grabs. When Wayne Smith took over earlier this year, the Black Ferns were in disarray following a scathing review of player treatment by the previous regime. Smith simply told his players to go out and play with freedom and joy. The rest is history.
A world record 42,579 spectators for a women’s match added more resonance to an occasion that had it all. Neither team deserved to lose, but New Zealand’s sixth try of the night with eight minutes remaining, scored by substitute winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga after a world-class offload from center Stacey Fluhler, it was special.
It came down to a classic clash of styles, especially after Thompson left. For the most part, England’s set pieces and driving maul were excellent, with hooker Amy Cokayne picking up a hat-trick from close range, but the Black Ferns’ backs were also an ever-present threat. On a clear and dry day, it provided glorious entertainment and kept up the feel-good theme of recent weeks. It obviously helped to have the host country in the final, but people have also really enjoyed what they’ve been watching.
How England will wish they could have rewinded the tape and given New Zealand less of a chance to run against them. Even before kick-off there were tough issues to tackle, with their starting scrum-half Leanne Infante ruled out on the eve of the game with knee and ankle problems. In came the relatively inexperienced Lucy Packer, who had only been selected on eight previous occasions, for the biggest game of her young life.
The Red Roses, however, enjoyed a perfect start, having also produced a smart response to the haka, stretching along the 10m line into a white wall. Barely three minutes had passed when, courtesy of an effective counter-ruck, they carved out space and winger Ellie Kildunne calmly finished in the corner. Even more ominously, England’s famous maul was beginning to reverberate, with Cokayne completing a perfectly executed score to make it 14-0 in as many minutes.
England’s Lydia Thompson (left) leaves the field after receiving a red card. Photograph: Fiona Goodall/World Rugby/Getty Images
There has been no argument, however, about Thompson’s dismissal after catching the hapless Woodman in the face as New Zealand attacked down the left. It was a particularly sad exit for Woodman, one of the freestyle stars of the women’s game, but it also offered New Zealand a chance to change the mood of the music.
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Indeed, they got their first try on the board almost immediately through Georgia Ponsonby before Woodman’s replacement Leti-I’iga closed the gap further. Under the tutelage of Smith and his former All Black gurus Sir Graham Henry and Mike Cron, the Black Ferns were being true to their word and giving it a shot.
Even so, though, England maintained their lead through Marlie Packer and the relentless Cokayne, but the early loss of Zoe Aldcroft remained a bit of a concern. Could New Zealand respond again? The answer was yes, with another close quarter score for prop Amy Rule cutting the half-game gap to a single score once again.
Ayesha Leti-l’iga and New Zealand celebrate the winning try. Photograph: Greg Bowker/Getty Images
Within 30 seconds of the restart, a thrilling break ended with Fluhler executing a perfect backline to complete a try to grace either end. Then, four minutes after arriving, replacement forward Krystal Murray crashed into the left corner to put her side ahead for the first time. Their lead was short-lived, with another maul giving Cokayne the chance to complete his hat-trick, but the best was yet to come.
Referee Hollie Davidson also deserved significant praise. Regardless of the outcome, this tournament has felt like a coming of age for the women’s game in multiple ways, both in Aotearoa and as a parent. Once again, though, it’s New Zealand that reigns supreme.