Favourites England hand Fiji 14-try mauling at World Cup

England 84 Fiji 19

Winger Claudia MacDonald scored four tries as favourites England opened their Rugby World Cup campaign with a 84-19 rout of Fiji at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday, extending their winning streak to 26 matches.

The Red Roses ran in four tries to secure a bonus point in the first half and another 10 after the break in a statement Pool C win over the Fijiana, who tired after a promising start to their World Cup debut.

“They rattled us a bit in their physicality and their intent to run the ball in the first half,” said England captain Sarah Hunter.

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“We were a bit more composed in the second half, managed to go back to being England and turned the game around.”

Hooker Amy Cokayne, lock Abbie Ward and MacDonald scored tries which all had their origins in England's trademark lineout drive in the opening 27 minutes before Fiji hit back with a brilliant try.

Fiji fullback Roela Radiniyavuni cut through the England defensive line before finding Alowesi Nakoci with a lofted pass that allowed the winger a free run to the line.

England responded in kind through centre Helena Rowland after a break from flanker Sadia Kabeya but Fiji had the last word in the half through a fine individual score from centre Sesenieli Donu which cut the deficit to 24-14 at the break.

The second half was pretty much one-way traffic as Cokayne grabbed a second score, winger Lydia Thompson scored a double and MacDonald added three more tries to her tally.

Lock Zoe Aldcroft, replacement winger Abby Dow, reserve hooker Connie Powell and scrumhalf Leanne Infante all also crossed as the hapless Fijians chased shadows.

Fiji again had the last word, however, with scrumhalf Lavena Cavuru scoring a consolation try just before the final hooter.

“I’m so proud of these girls, we were playing a professional outfit and they really got stuck in the first half,” said Fiji coach Senirusi Seruvakula.

New Zealand 41 Australia 17

Hosts and reigning champions New Zealand came through a huge early scare to beat neighbours Australia 41-17 in their opening match in front of a record crowd at Eden Park.

Three quick tries had the Wallaroos dominating the Pool A clash at 17-0 up inside the first half an hour and it was only when the Australians were reduced to 13 women early in the second half that the home side were able to edge ahead.

Prolific winger Portia Woodman scored a hat-trick and her fellow Sevens standout Ruby Tui grabbed a late double as the five-times world champions scored seven unanswered tries to seal what was ultimately a comfortable win.

“It was definitely a game of two halves,” said New Zealand captain Ruahei Demant.

“Australia really put us under the pump there right from the start. I’m proud of how we closed off that first half and the way that we finished that game.”

Australia, who had never beaten the Black Ferns in 22 previous attempts, started as if determined to spoil New Zealand’s party with winger Bienne Terita crossing twice in the right corner after running around the home defence.

In between Terita’s tries, her fellow winger Ivania Wong picked up a loose pass and raced 60 metres to score to silence the crowd of more than 35,000.

Lock Joanah Ngan-Woo finally got the Black Ferns on the board with a bulldozing run just after the half-hour mark and two tries from Woodman in 11 minutes around the break tied the scores up at 17-17.

The match turned decisively in the 53rd minute, when Wong and Australia captain Shannon Parry were shown yellow cards within a few seconds of each other. Before the two Australians returned, replacement prop Awhina Tangen-Wainohu had forced her way over the line to secure New Zealand a bonus point and Woodman bagged her third try.

Tui’s late show with two classic winger’s finishes was more what New Zealand fans had expected as the Black Ferns look to defend their title from England and France.

The crowd for the triple-header was a record for a women’s World Cup match and for a stand-alone women’s sporting fixture in New Zealand.

France 40 South Africa 5

Scrumhalf Laure Sansus scored two tries as France underlined their title credentials with a bonus-point 40-5 victory over South Africa in the opening match at Eden Park on Saturday.

Only a smattering of fans gathered in the 50,000-seat arena at the start of the first Pool C clash, but they were treated to some fine early tries as France, who finished third at the last two World Cups, took a 19-0 lead after 17 minutes.

Sansus ran through a gaping hole in the defence off the back of a rolling maul, centre Emilie Boulard latched on to a chip ahead from outhalf Caroline Drouin and winger Gabrielle Vernier ran in an intercept for the third score.

South Africa, playing in their first World Cup since 2014, had some good moments in the scrum and at the maul, but it was not until 10 minutes after half-time that they got on scoreboard when winger Nomawethu Mabenge finished well in the corner.

That charged the 11th ranked South Africans with confidence and they repelled attack after attack from the French until a quickly-taken penalty allowed Sansus to breach their line for a second time in the 68th minute.

Four minutes later and the French were in again after number eight Romane Menager made a break up the middle of the park and found Drouin inside her with an offload, allowing the playmaker to race away and cap her fine performance with a try.

Drouin was not finished yet and her crosskick gave debutante winger Joanna Grisez the simplest of finishes for the sixth try in the last few seconds.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022