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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Andy Bull

Ruthless New Zealand machine an ominous obstacle on England’s horizon

Braxton Sorensen-McGee celebrates scoring a try
Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored two tries in New Zealand’s victory over South Africa. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

The Black Ferns were slow leaving the pitch at half-time, but very quick coming back on to it once the break was over. With 40 minutes to play, the scores tied 10-10, and a spot in the semi-finals on the line, the New Zealand captain Ruahei Demant pulled her team into a huddle, while the Springboks trotted past them and in to the changing rooms at Sandy Park.

The team talk, according to player-of-the-match Kaipo Olsen-Baker, was only three letters long: “AFD” which, Olsen-Baker just stopped herself from blurting out during a live TV interview afterwards, means “all fucking day”. They scored three tries in the next seven minutes play.

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