Match Report: Scotland 14-66 New Zealand

After a memorable haka, the first time a women’s side has done so in Scotland, it was Braxton Sorensen-McGee who kicked off, her cheeky grubber a stray away from convention, although Meryl Smith wasn’t deceived and Scotland managed to clear.

However, from the next phase, the Black Ferns displayed the sort of physicality for which they are renowned and off phase play, the considerable mass of tighthead prop Mo’omo’oga Palu steamrolled her way through the home defence for an opening try within two minutes, which Sorensen-McGee duly converted (0-7, 2 mins).

It didn’t take long for them to get their second, and it was a similar tale of brute force. When the backs can’t scythe their way through, let the forwards do their job, as the old mantra would go, and that was the case when lock Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu barged over to extend her side’s lead (0-12, 8 mins).

Scotland were willing if not entirely effective, with captain Rachel Malcolm typically leading from the front with her indefatigable hunger to tackle bodies. The issue was, such efforts meant that on the occasion they did get the ball, legs were tired.

Apart from Chloe Rollie’s. Hive Stadium’s first proper eruption of the game came at the 20-minute mark when the dynamic full-back intercepted a ball on her own 22 and sprinted 50 metres, eventually hauled down by some excellent scramble defence from the Kiwis. It did, however, cajole the home support into life.

And their reward was a try moments later when, after a host of close-quarter carries, Evie Gallagher burrowed her way over the line to offer a real moment of celebration – Scotland Women’s first try against New Zealand, no less. Helen Nelson converted from in front of the sticks (7-12, 21 mins).

When Rhona Lloyd started sprinting after a seemingly aimless kick through, her pace would have taken Scotland to a quickfire double only for the dead ball zone at Hive to come to New Zealand’s rescue.

And the Black Ferns, as so often happens, then went up the other end and added insult to it, with winger Justine McGregor easing over in the right-hand corner to reinforce her side’s advantage (7-17, 26 mins).

Flanker Elinor-Plum-King then swiftly finished off a devastating counter attack, which owed to some poor defence, to stretch things further. Sorensen-McGee converted once more (7-24, 30 mins).

Scotland’s spirit, as ever, refused to wilt and they got further reward when Gallagher emerged as the scorer of her own, and Scotland’s second, try. Nelson clipped over the conversion (14-24, 33 mins).

Again, the Black Ferns sought some scoreboard protection and when Layla Sae just muscled her way past a home defender from a few metres out, they got just that (14-31, 36 mins).

Amy Du Plessis then cut a beauty of a line to add a sixth New Zealand try before half-time, with the reliable Sorensen-McGee converting her fourth score (14-38, 38 mins).

Half-time: Scotland 14-38 New Zealand

History repeated itself as the second half got going, with substitute Amarante Sititi gliding over after Sorensen-McGee punctured the home defence, the latter then converting (14-45, 43 mins).

Some silky offloading then allowed scrum-half Tara Turner to scamper over with Sorensen-McGee once more adding the extras (14-52, 45 mins), before blindside Sae got her second with practically the very next play (14-59, 48 mins).

Scotland made a raft of changes with the game gone, and there were some improvements as a result with Hannah Ramsay and the returning Sarah Bonar showing up well from the moment they entered the fray.

The brightest Scottish spark throughout the afternoon was Gallagher, though. Even past the hour mark, the number 8 continued to plug away in defence and every time she got the ball in her hands, you felt that something positive would happen. Time and again the loose forward made ground and with British & Irish Lions head coach Jo Yapp in attendance, she could do worse than selecting the Bristol Bear on that inaugural tour to New Zealand in 2027.

In terms of games petering out, this was up there with the best of them, with New Zealand extremely comfortable in seeing the game out without feeling the need to explore any extra gears needed.

She wasn’t necessarily simply the best player on the day, but by the time Tara Turner was announced as Player of the Match, there was just enough time for Alena Saili to score in the game’s final act, with Hannah King’s touchline conversion a fitting end to a polished team performance.

Full-time: Scotland 14-66 New Zealand

Scotland: Chloe Rollie (Edinburgh Rugby), Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks), Rachel Philipps (Edinburgh), Meryl Smith (Bristol Bears), Shona Campbell (Sale Sharks); Helen Nelson (Trailfinders), Ceitidh Ainsworth (Glasgow Warriors); Anne Young (Glasgow Warriors), Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears), Elliann Clarke (Glasgow Warriors), Emma Wassell (Trailfinders), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors), Rachel Malcolm (Captain) (Trailfinders), Eva Donaldson (Sale Sharks), Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears).

Replacements: Aicha Sutcliffe (Glasgow Warriors) (for Skeldon, 50 mins), Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks) (for Young, 64 mins), Molly Poolman (Edinburgh) (for E. Clarke, 50 mins), Sarah Bonar (Harlequins) (for Wassell, 47 mins), Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh) (for Bogan, 71 mins), Rhea Clarke (Glasgow Warriors) (for Ainsworth, 61 mins), Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh) (for Rollie, 50 mins), Katie Buchanan (Exeter Chiefs) (for Philipps, 55 mins, initial Head Injury Assessment, turned permanent).

New Zealand: Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Justine McGregor, Amy Du Plessis, Alena Saili, Shyrah Tuilau-Tua’a; Hannah King, Tara Turner; Maddison Robinson, Georgia Ponsonby (Captain), Mo’omo’oga Palu, Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Layla Sae, Elinor-Plum-King, Mia Anderson.

Replacements: Vici-Rose Green, Ngano Tavake, Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Liana Mikaele-Tu’U, Amarante Sititi, Maia Joseph, Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu-Ayai’I Brunt, Maia Davis.

Referee: Jess Ling (RA)
Assistant Referees: Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU) and Mariam Goguadze (GRU)
Television Match Official: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
Fair Play Review Officer: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)

Attendance: 4,194

Vodafone Player of the Match: Tara Turner (New Zealand)