stuart bathgate
SCOTLAND needed to beat the hosts and holders yesterday to have any chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup from Pool A, but it was clear from the opening minutes of the game that such a result was not about to materialise.
New Zealand opened the scoring at Whangarei’s Northland Events Centre with 99 seconds on the clock, had the try bonus wrapped up inside the first quarter and in all touched down seven times before the break.
To their credit, Scotland were more assertive in defence and confident in attack in the second half, but they still conceded twice more to end up with a 9-0 try count against them.
“I thought New Zealand were outstanding today,” Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said after a result which confirmed her team would finish bottom of their pool and thus go out of the competition. “Their attack in that first half was probably one of the toughest I’ve ever had to defend against.
“It was a real hard test, but I’m super proud of the performance of my team in the second half. We went in at 45-0 down, and to finish the game at 57-0 shows the heart in this team that we’ve shown from week one, minute one of this tournament.
“This has made us hungrier than ever to compete on this world stage. We’ll be back and fight harder next time.”
Having lost narrowly to Wales and Australia in their first two matches, Scotland knew they would have to play the best game of their lives to have any chance of upsetting the Black Ferns. But the home team simply gave them no chance to get into their stride, putting on an overwhelming display of pace and power.
Full-back Renee Holmes was the scorer of that first try inside the second minute, touching down in the left corner thanks to an overlap opened up by a midfield loop. Ayesha Leti-I’iga got the second after being left in acres of space on her wing, and then from the restart openside flanker Sarah Hirini broke free in midfield to get her team’s third.
The try bonus point came from a penalty to touch in the Scots 22. The initial drive got nowhere, but when the ball was recycled No.8 Liana Mikaele-Tu’u ploughed over.
After a brief lull midway through the half, the Black Ferns again employed the power of their forwards to punch holes in the Scots defence, and Theresa Fitzpatrick claimed their fifth try after an excellent carry and scoring pass from Alana Bremner.
Renee Wickliffe was awarded a sixth try despite an evident forward pass from Hazel Tubic, and then in the last minute before the break New Zealand scored off first phase from a scrum, with Wickliffe finishing off in the right corner after a simple move down the line.
Breaks by Lisa Thomson and Shona Campbell were the closest Scotland came to breaking their duck after the break, and although the tempo of the home attack was disrupted by substitutions, when the scores did come they went New Zealand’s way.
First Maiakawanakaulani Roos finished off from a Natalie Delamare off-load, and then, after Tanya Kalounivale had been sin-binned for a team offence, Holmes got her second try after a break by Sylvia Brunt.
Scorers, New Zealand – Tries: Holmes 2, Leti-I’iga, Hirini, Mikaele-Tu’u, Fitzpatrick, Wickliffe 2, Roos. Cons: Holmes 6.
New Zealand: R Holmes; R Wickliffe, A du Plessis, T Fitzpatrick, A Leti-I’iga (S Brunt 48); H Tubic, A Marino-Tauhinu (captain, S Cocksedge 46); P Love (K Murray 46), G Ponsonby (N Delamare 46), A Rule (T Kalounivale 55), J Ngan-Woo (C Bremner 55), M Roos, A Bremner (K Reynolds 60), S Hirini, L Mikaele-Tu’u. Unused substitute: R Demant.
Scotland: S Campbell; R Lloyd (E Musgrove 64), E Orr, L Thomson, H Smith; H Nelson (M Smith 67), C Mattinson (M McDonald 57); M Wright (L Bartlett 64), L Skeldon, C Belisle (K Dougan 55), E Wassell, S Bonar (L O’Donnell 70), R Malcolm (captain, J Rettie 69), R McLachlan (L McMillan 64), J Konkel-Roberts.
Referee: A Groizeleau (France).
