New Zealand blitz South Africa after break to reach World Cup semi-finals

In New Zealand rugby the female of the species is currently deadlier then the male. South Africa’s women were always going to struggle to replicate the Springboks’ record-breaking result in Wellington a few hours earlier but, after a stuttering first half, the Black Ferns raised their game significantly in the second to secure their place in next weekend’s World Cup semi-finals.

The scoreboard tells only half the story of a contest often as notable for collective South African power as belated Kiwi finesse. South Africa, smartly coached and packed with forward muscle, took their opponents on physically in virtually every area and, at 10-10 at half-time, had the Black Ferns genuinely rattled.

South Africa even opted for a couple of whole-team lineout mauls for extra effect but were eventually outflanked by New Zealand’s flying wingers and mobile back row. On another great day for hyphen aficionados there was another brace of tries for the prolific 18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee plus a couple more for the industrious No 8 Kaipo Olsen-Baker and full-back Renee Holmes.

It was a fascinating clash of styles from start to finish. The Black Ferns possess plenty of impressively lithe athletes but South Africa’s set-piece potential was consistently striking. The underdogs duly enjoyed the lion’s share of early possession and territory, with the No 8 Aseza Hele leading the charge, and New Zealand’s rising penalty count reflected the pressure they were absorbing.

Kaipo Olsen-Baker powers over for the first of her two tries. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters

South Africa could already have registered a couple of tries before they were eventually rewarded at the third attempt when the tighthead prop Babalwa Latsha crashed over after 20 minutes for the game’s first score. It seemed as if the Black Ferns had responded immediately only for Liana Mikaele-Tu’u to ground the ball just short of the line with five points tantalisingly within reach.

The dam would shortly burst. A South Africa clearance kick was charged down to give Theresa Setefano the chance to score before a solid attacking scrum offered a platform for Sorensen-McGee to ghost over on the right. Once they get ahead New Zealand generally become significantly harder to subdue.

That said, England’s coaching team will take a keen interest in this particular match video. The simplest way to frustrate the Black Ferns’ fleet-footed attackers is to suffocate them at source but doing so for 80 minutes is easier said than done. South African limbs began to tire and energy levels drop as New Zealand cut loose with four tries in 14 second-half minutes.

While the Black Ferns were a long way from perfect they do possess some gifted gamebreakers and the precocious Sorensen-McGee, in addition to her smoothly taken tries, is a decent goal-kicker when given the chance. Lerato Makua did manage a late consolation score for South Africa while another notable figure was the referee Sara Cox, who gave a calm and composed performance in her home city.

As an occasion it was also another joyfully uplifting one. A healthy, enthusiastic crowd, middle aged blokes proudly wearing pink cowboy hats, rousing renditions of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika in the main stand. If you could bottle the atmosphere of this tournament and sprinkle a few drops over every sporting event not a single neutral would ever leave disappointed. And the best, hopefully, is yet to come.