The Kiwi Ferns Trailed Fiji at Half-Time and Needed a Late Try to Win 18-12
Fiji’s Bulikula were playing their first Women’s World Cup match. They led New Zealand 12-10 at half-time in Newcastle on Sunday, and nrl.com reported it was the first time the Kiwi Ferns had trailed at the break at a World Cup against anyone other than Australia.
New Zealand won 18-12 with a try in the last three minutes.
How Fiji got in front
Stacey Waaka scored for New Zealand after two minutes, and for a while that looked like the start of a long afternoon for the debutants. Fiji had other ideas. They held most of the ball and the territory, and after 21 minutes captain Sereana Naitokatoka ran from dummy half and found Losana Lutu, who crashed over for Fiji’s first try at a World Cup.
Five minutes later Lutu grubbered through and centre Sienna Laing chased it down to score. Waaka’s second try, just before the break, kept New Zealand within two.
The second half
New Zealand attacked for most of it and could not get through. Fiji defended through injuries to Tamika Jones, Maria Paseka and Laing.
Zahara Temara, a former Jillaroo, levelled it at 12-12 with a penalty goal. Fiji then missed a penalty shot of their own, and Temara kicked a second to put New Zealand ahead 14-12. With the game still in doubt, Raecene McGregor put a chip kick across field and Leianne Tufuga caught it to score in the corner.
What it means
New Zealand won the first three Women’s World Cups. Australia have won the last three, and the Jillaroos opened this one by beating Samoa 40-0. On this evidence the Kiwi Ferns are not yet at that level, and they are already without centre Shanice Parker, ruled out with a calf injury in training.
Pool B is New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France and Fiji. The Kiwi Ferns play France in Christchurch next, and Fiji play the PNG Orchids. On this showing, Fiji against Papua New Guinea looks like a real contest.
It was a bad weekend for New Zealand sides in general. The men lost 24-22 to Australia on Thursday and then lost Kalyn Ponga to a broken arm. Seven shows the women’s tournament free to air in Australia; the full broadcast list is in how to watch the World Cup.
