New Zealand women’s rugby domination over arch rivals Australia has continued with the all-conquering Black Ferns crushing the Wallaroos 31-11 in the Bledisloe Cup curtain raiser in Sydney.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Wallaroos 11
Black Ferns 31
The Wallaroos play the Black Ferns tonight, before Bledisloe game 1, as the first match of a historic series against the world champions. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 5:15pm AEST.
This is the first Test in Australia for the Wallaroos since 2008, and the first time they’ve played since the 2017 World Cup.
While last year’s WC was something of a failure for the Aussies, since then, professional contracts have been reached – where players will get paid per Test, as well as a largely successful domestic competition taking place.
The New Zealanders have won all of the 15 games against the Australians, so a win tonight would be completely unprecedented. When New Zealand hosted the Wallaroos in a two-game series back in 2016, the home team won both games comprehensively, 67-3 and 29-3.
Last year’s fixture, as a World Cup warmup, saw the Black Ferns run out to a hefty 34-5 lead, before the Wallaroos made up some ground in the second half, NZ eventually winning 44-17.
Five debutants will run out for the New Zealanders, Ruahei Demant, Alena Saili, Krysten Cottrell, Cristo Tofa and Leilani Perese all playing their first ever test on Saturday night, in a Black Ferns team boasting all of 379 caps.
Australia, off the back of the Super W, will play nine debutants, in Georgia O’Neill, Crystal Maguire, Atasi Lafai, Mhicca Carter, Darryl Wickliffe, Melissa Fatu, Alice Tonumaivao, Shanice Parker and Emily Chancellor.
Sarah Riordan will unluckily sit this game out with injury, after bizarrely rolling her ankle during a “crossbar challenge” at training on Wednesday, however she may return for next week’s clash in Auckland next week, while in the meantime, uncapped Crystal Maguire will slot in for her at inside centre.
You’d be mad to tip the Wallaroos, after blowout scorelines in many of the games so far – Australia have conceded 555 points in the 15 games they’ve played so far, at an average of 37 per game, while only scoring 111 points at an average of about seven.
The Wallaroos won’t win this game. However, if they can put 20 points or so on the women in black, which would be their highest ever score vs the Kiwis, the Aussies will take plenty of confidence into next week.
New Zealand by 20.
SK Martin
Roar Rookie
Lienert-Brown comes into the fray, replacing Crotty. RugbyPass Official Live Stream HD game Watch FREE >> https://t.co/JcwPMjtgHR Watch FREE >> https://t.co/JcwPMjtgHR
adam smith
Guest
Congrats to the cuzzy Les Elder (nee Ketu), awesome game. You continue to do our whanau & Taumarunui proud. I’m sure Uncle Tom will be looking down proudly.
Tom English
Roar Guru
Thanks Dani! It was great fun to blog. Hopefully a bit closer next week.
moa
Guest
Really disjointed effort from BFs and a lot of credit must go to Wallaroos for disrupting their midfield and stifling any backline attack. Had Oz been able to counter the rolling maul they would have really been in it.As it was they came up with a superb try and come away with a dollop of credit. Very, very rusty display from NZ but lot of new faces in there and depth being created. Hopefully Eden Park will bring a step up in quality to match the effort of both teams.
Tom English
Roar Guru
Well there you have it, thanks for joining me folks. Tonight, the Black Ferns may have won by 20 (as per my prediction) but a distinction mark to the Wallaroos. Well done to both teams, there's plenty of rugby still to come this weekend, as Namibia host Kenya for a spot in the RWC, Aus play NZ for the Bledisloe and South Africa host Argentina in a bid to start the Rugby Championship on a good note. Enjoy your weekend!
Tom English
Roar Guru
Full Time 80' - Penalty to NZ. Cottrell finds touch, and here's the lineout for NZ. Cheeky move there, but the throw didn't go 5. Siren goes eventually, Aus find touch with their penalty. Lineout wasn't straight, and there's the game! Australia Wallaroos: 11 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
78' - Hewitt surging upfield, Morgan now- oh she loses it, and NZ can't do anything with it. 2 mins left, no advantage, so here's the scrum! Australia Wallaroos: 11 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
Yellow Card 77' - Jackie Patea-Fereti isn't rolling away, and she is penalised and carded for the Black Ferns! Australia Wallaroos: 11 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
75' - Wickliffe goes up the middle for NZ, Maguire has it all of a sudden, bursting through and sends it Alisha Hewitt who is over! Great stuff there! Treherne to convert: she's pushed it across the face of goal. Australia Wallaroos: 11 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
73' - Penalty to Australia, they will clear their 22. How good would a try to Aus be. Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
70' - Maul to NZ from the lineout, they roll and roll for that line- over they go: try! Fiao'o Faamausili is the scorer with a hatrick, conversion is good as well! Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 31
Tom English
Roar Guru
62' - Perese and Blackwell barging up, Love picks and drives. They pick and go again. Turned over by Australia, and they clear into touch! Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 24
Tom English
Roar Guru
62' - NZ kick for the corner, and here's a maul to the New Zealanders. Wallaroos turn it over! Can the Wallaroos do something here? Is the result set in stone? Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 24
Tom English
Roar Guru
62' - Wallaroos go deep from the kickoff, Black Ferns make it into Aus territory, Aus claim the turnover but a penalty is awarded against them. Fitzpatrick and Saili make carries, and knocked on. From the scrum, Australia are penalised! Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 24
Tom English
Roar Guru
60' - NZ opt the lineout to the corner, they go short, Fiao'o Faamausili gets the ball and barges over for the try! Great stuff by the New Zealanders, and they'll kick for goal from the sideline- unsuccessful there. Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 24
Ed
Guest
What a refereeing debacle in the first half of the Wallaroos game. Besides the obvious one sided lineout throw-ins by NZ, there were 2 occasions where NZ pilfered the ball at the tackle without the tackler releasing the tackled player...all in plain sight of the ref.
Tom English
Roar Guru
60' - This will be a scrum for Aus, big push from NZ- penalty to the Black Ferns! Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 19
Tom English
Roar Guru
58' - Bit messy by Aus's lineout, now Pomare has it for NZ, onto Wickliffe, who pops it up to Cocksedge, knocked on and we'll have a scrum to Australia! Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 19
Tom English
Roar Guru
58' - Overthrown, and lost forward by the Black Ferns, which is a stroke of luck for Aus. Murphy beats one, is brought down, Morgan snipes downfield, Wallaroos 5 inside the 22- turned over, and NZ look for touch and find it. Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 19
Tom English
Roar Guru
55' - The NZ lineout throw was crooked, now Aus are gifted a penalty for a high tackle. Australia Wallaroos: 6 New Zealand Black Ferns: 19