New Zealand are up and running in their Rugby World Cup defence with a big win against Spain, but the victory was marred by injuries to Kaipo Olsen-Baker, who was helped off the pitch with a suspected ankle issue, and the star wing Ayesha Leti-I’iga. The Black Ferns finished with 13 players on the pitch.
New Zealand’s director of performance, Allan Bunting, had no update on either player after the game as they are waiting for them to be assessed. The lock Alana Bremner said she was proud of how they adapted.
Bremner said: “We were talking after and said ‘we didn’t realise we were 13 for a couple of minutes there’. When they realised our game drivers really stepped up. It was awesome to see the way we did that and a lot of heart was shown, especially on defence. When you are two women down you have to work harder for each other.”
It blighted a fairly positive outing for the six-time winners during which the World Cup record try-scorer Portia Woodman-Wickliffe added to her tally after being introduced in the second half.
The scoreboard did not sufficiently tell the game’s story, where at times the Black Ferns were undone by their own mistakes. It was a mildly frustrating first half littered with handling errors and was underlined by the entire squad included in a huddle before they hit the changing rooms. In the second half they sprinted away from Spain, who are 10 places below New Zealand in the world rankings.
A brighter note for the Black Ferns was Jorja Miller’s solid performance, despite being substituted at the interval. The sevens player of the year has already won Olympic gold and Sevens World Cup silver, but made her 15s World Cup debut and scored two tries.
“I was stoked,” Miller said. “Even just running out and putting the jersey on, it was a really special moment. As you see on the side [of the shirt which shows six World Cup wins] it shows how much legacy and history this team has created at Rugby World Cups. So to be a part of that, a positive part and add another year on, it’s really special.”
The 21-year-old was the first try‑scorer and then linked up well with the 18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee to score her second before Liana Mikaele-Tu’u, named player of the match, went over. Spain’s Amàlia Argudo kicked three points to round off the half.
While the Black Ferns continued to be stifled by their own errors they were the first to score in the second half through Leti-I’iga. They were in again with Georgia Ponsonby and Leti‑I’iga crossed for her second just after Olsen‑Baker’s injury. The replacement wing Woodman-Wickliffe was next among the action and scored her 21st Rugby World Cup try with Teresa Setefano scoring before Ines Antolinez Fernández got Spain’s deserved try after a hearty performance.
New Zealand wrapped up all five points but eyes will be on if their two stars will be available for the rest of the tournament.
