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New Zealand show no mercy against Ireland to top Pool C

Updated / Monday, 8 Sep 2025 12:10

There was no repeat of Ireland's famous win against New Zealand from 12 months ago, as the Black Ferns looked ruthless in gaining revenge for last year’s WXV shock.

The six-time World Cup winners have only lost one game in this tournament since 1991, that to Ireland in 2014, and a similar shock never looked on the cards as they overpowered and smothered Ireland in a dominant 40-0 win in Brighton.

As good as the Black Ferns were, Scott Bemand will have real frustrations about the margin of victory.

His side had plenty of opportunities to score, but never played with the same pace as their opponents, whose defensive line gave Dannah O’Brien no time to play, while some poor passing and handling continually derailed Irish attacks.

Defensively, the narrow line which had just about held up against Spain and Japan was badly shown up.

Winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee ripped Ireland apart with three tries and set up another, sending Stacey Waaka over for the opening score.

It was 19-0 at the break, Waaka, Sorensen-McGee and Chryss Viliko scoring, and while Ireland performed better in the third quarter, Sorensen-McGee's second of the game just before the hour killed it off.

It was 26-0 with two minutes left, but the Black Ferns showed no mercy as the 18-year-old completed her hat-trick, and Maia Joseph completed the rout.

The defeat has come at further cost for Ireland, who have several injuries to contend with ahead of their quarter-final against France or South Africa.

Stacey Flood (below) was carted off during the first half after a foot injury, while Edel McMahon and Eve Higgins both left the game for head injury assessments, which could create real selection issues next week in Exeter.

Ireland's Stacey Flood leaves the field

Ireland started the game in determined fashion, and stated their intent when O’Brien turned down a simple shot in front of the posts from a penalty inside the first three minutes, but while they lived in the New Zealand 22 for the opening 10 minutes they couldn’t execute.

First, Ruth Campbell was tackled into touch, and then on six minutes Brittany Hogan spilled forward close to the line as she tried to reach out for an Aoibheann Reilly pass the should have been more forgiving.

New Zealand weathered that early storm as Ireland’s attack grew scattered, with a loose pass from Sam Monaghan putting Flood under pressure, leading to a New Zealand penalty.

On 14 minutes, the Black Ferns hit the front.

The Irish defence left a huge gap for Liana Mikaele-Tu’u to attack, and after she offloaded to Maia Roos the New Zealand backs moved the ball quickly down the right wing where they had extra numbers, as Waaka ran in to score.

The final pass from Sorensen-McGee to her centre looked forward but the try stood.

There was no doubt about their second try, just three minutes later.

Two quick penalties conceded by Ireland allowed New Zealand straight back into the 22 and after Sylvia Brunt got them over the gainline, loosehead prop Viliko followed up, the Black Ferns moving 12-0 ahead after just a quarter of the game.

Ireland were on the ropes, and only for New Zealand’s inaccuracies, the scoreline could have been even greater.

Waaka and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe combined and almost put Jorja Miller clear down the wing, but the pass hit the flanker too high.

Two minutes later, Georgia Ponsonby was too slow to react to a pass, and spilled forward.

A scrum penalty appeared to settle Ireland down, and shortly after Grace Moore forced another penalty at the breakdown, but it came at a cost as she accidentally stepped on the foot of Flood, enough to force the full-back off, replaced by Nancy McGillivray.

O’Brien kicked Ireland into the 22, but their maul was turned over, and two minutes later the game looked over when the Black Ferns ran in for their third try.

The score exposed Ireland’s narrow defence as Waaka rounded O’Brien and drew in Amee-Leigh Costigan, sending Sorensen-McGee clear down the wing, before the 18-year-old stepped Higgins to score, the conversion from Renee Holmes making it 19-0 at half time.

The Irish kicking game improved, and twice in quick succession it almost led to tries.

On 50 minutes, O’Brien weighted a kick perfectly to the touchline, and while it bounced kindly for Higgins, the Black Ferns defence managed to reel her in.

Two minutes later, the Ireland out-half spotted an empty backfield, driving a grubber that only Costigan chased, but her luck wasn't in as the ball trickled out of the in-goal area just before she got to it.

It was as close as Ireland would get before the defending champions killed the contest, Sorensen-McGee grabbing her second of the game just before the hour mark, as New Zealand once again exposed Ireland’s narrow defence.

As she did in the first half, Waaka’s footwork did the damage as she beat Costigan around the outside, and that left a simple overlap for the youngster to cruise for the bonus-point try.

A sustained period of pressure in the Black Ferns’ 22 ended when Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald was caught in possession without support, but again Ireland found their way back into an attacking position.

This time, their maul was held up over the tryline.

Allan Bunting's side were coughing up penalty after penalty, Ireland’s just couldn’t match the aggression they showed in defence, and when Miller secured a turnover close to her own line on 74 minutes, New Zealand broke away to score again – only for the try to be pulled back for a knock-on.

With time running out, the Black Ferns did finish with a flourish, Sorensen-McGee's hat-trick try in the corner pushed the lead out beyond 30 points, and with the final play of the game they broke clear yet again, Maia Joseph dotting down to seal an emphatic revenge job.

New Zealand scorers: Tries: Stacey Waaka, Chryss Viliko, Braxton Sorensen-McGee (3), Maia Joseph

Cons: Renee Holmes (5)

Ireland: Stacey Flood; Béibhinn Parsons (for Higgins, 73), Aoife Dalton, Eve Higgins, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe; Dannah O'Brien, Aoibheann Reilly; Niamh O’Dowd, Neve Jones, Linda Djougang; Ruth Campbell, Sam Monaghan (co-capt); Grace Moore, Edel McMahon (co-capt), Brittany Hogan.

Replacements: Clíodhna Moloney-MacDonald (for Jones, 50), Siobhán McCarthy (for O’Dowd, 60), Sadhbh McGrath (for Djouigang, 60), Eimear Corr-Fallon (for Monaghan, 60), Claire Boles (for McMahon, 44), Emily Lane (for Reilly, 60), Nancy McGillivray (for Flood, 33), Anna McGann (for Parsons, 44).

New Zealand: Renee Holmes; Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Stacey Waaka, Sylvia Brunt, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe; Ruahei Demant (co-capt), Risi Pouri-Lane; Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, Tanya Kalounivale; Maia Roos, Alana Bremner; Layla Sae, Jorja Miller, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u.

Replacements: Vici-Rose Green (for Ponsonby, 66), Kate Henwood (for Viliko, 55), Amy Rule (for Kalounivale, 30), Laura Bayfield (for Bremner, 25-30 [blood] and 55), Kennedy Tukuafu (co-capt) (for Sae, 55), Maia Joseph (for Pouri-Lane, 63), Theresa Setefano (for Brunt, 70), Ayesha Leti-I’iga (for Woodman-Wickliffe, 51).

Referee: Hollie Davidson

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Neil Treacy

RTÉ Sport Journalist