Leanne makes try-scoring return to England duty
LEANNE Infante, the Bristol Bears Women’s scrum-half, scored on her return to the starting line-up as England ran out 56-15 winners against New Zealand at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens.
It is the first time England have secured back-to-back wins over New Zealand since 2012, and stretches their unbeaten run to 16 matches.
The Black Ferns showed their intent to attack early on, opting to run the ball out of their half from kick off, but staunch English defence thwarted their ambition.
It took eight minutes for the Red Roses to get on the scoreboard, and it came in the familiar form of a rolling maul, Amy Cokayne the benefactor at the back.
Ellie Kildunne bagged England’s second just moments later, as the Black Ferns struggled to deal with Infante’s quick service at each ruck that edged closer to their line. Fizzing passes saw the ball moved through hands, and into the path of Kildunne, who went over. Fly-half Zoe Harrison converted both efforts for a 14-0 lead.
Simon Middleton’s charges were
then awarded a penalty try on the 16-minute mark, as New Zealand’s scrum-half Kendra Cocksedge was yellow carded for deliberately knocking on an Infante pass to Lydia Thompson, that would have seen the wing score. England forced the game to be played deep inside the visitors’ territory, and on the stroke of half-time Cokayne powered over for her second try, a carbon copy of her first, and Harrison
slotted the extras to give the Red Roses a 28-point lead at the break.
The second half started exactly how the first ended, with a Red Roses try off the back of a fivemetre line-out, and it was Cokayne’s hat-trick score. Harrison’s conversion was good.
New Zealand responed with a try from Portia Woodman. However, when Grace Houpapa-Barrett overthrew a five-metre line-out, the ever-aware Infante duly collected and fell over the whitewash for England’s sixth score. Harrison’s boot made it 42-5.
A converted Lark Davies try in the 65th minute extended England’s lead by 44 points. Replacement Sarah McKenna was later shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock on.
The Black Ferns scored another courtesy of Stacey Fluhler - but Abby Dow struck back with a try of her own. Woodman crossed again in the final play of the Test, but it was a consolation score, as the game finished 56-15.
This report first appeared on www.bristolbearsrugby.com.