Black Ferns try-mad Katelyn Vahaakolo kicked four goals as New Zealand thrashed the Wallaroos 62-0 at Ballymore – their biggest win on Australian soil over their cross-Tasman Sea rivals.
The result meant the Wallaroos suffered their 27th loss in 27 attempts against the four-time world champions on a horror afternoon that was made worse by a serious finger injury to former captain Piper Duck.
Once again, the Black Ferns were simply too strong and too skilful with the ball in hand and dominated the field on a large scale on Sunday.
Apart from a brief spell in the first half when prop Eva Karpani had a try disallowed, the Wallaroos struggled to string together more than a few spells as they were continually outplayed by the Black Ferns’ dominant attacking pack.
It took New Zealand just four minutes to score first when Georgia Ponsonby broke through after a series of irresistible rolling attacks.
The Black Ferns went full throttle in the first 40 minutes and built up a 29-0 lead by halftime.
NRLW convert Vahaakolo scored two tries before and after halftime to extend her goal-scoring streak for the Black Ferns to eight games in a row.
The speedy winger scored her hat-trick shortly after the restart, breaking through the Wallaroos’ retreating defence and placing the ball under the posts.
The Wallaroos’ task was made even more difficult when Duck had to leave the field in the second half due to a sprained finger.
The stomach-churning sight of her ring finger sticking out at a right angle made me cry like water off a duck as the tough No. 8 casually strolled off the field, high-fived her teammates.
Black Ferns hooker Atlanta Lolohea scored a try and a penalty to cap the win – a dream debut for the 21-year-old.
The defeat will be difficult for Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp to take, as she believed her team was on a roll after their 64-5 win over Fiji the previous weekend.
Her team has until September to lick their wounds before facing Ireland again – their first in seven years – while also stepping up their preparations for the 2025 World Cup.