HEARTBREAK
Captain Hunter’s face tells whole story as England’s World Cup dream turns to dust after red card
N Zealand 34
England 31
STARING into space and on the verge of tears, Sarah Hunter did well not to lose control as she attempted to sum up England’s World Cup final heartbreak.
The Red Roses captain had watched from the sidelines as her team’s 30-match unbeaten run came to a shuddering halt at the worst possible moment. This was Eden Park agony for England and ecstasy for New Zealand.
Sia’s Unstoppable blasted out at the home of Kiwi rugby as Black Ferns icon Ruby Tui led a record crowd for a women’s international in a celebratory haka. Guided by their coach Wayne Smith, unstoppable is just what New Zealand proved to be.
A 17th-minute red card for England wing Lydia Thompson was crucial. Simon Middleton’s side were a player light for more than an hour yet still they had one last shot at glory. But when it mattered most, England’s usually dominant lineout faltered.
‘Sport can be cruel,’ said Hunter, somehow able to speak amid the pain. ‘It hurts to lose a World Cup final and especially in that manner, but I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve done as a team. So, so proud.’
It will be no consolation to England, but they took part in a World Cup final for the ages. It was a titanic contest. As adverts for the women’s game go, it could not have been topped.
There were 11 tries — three from England hooker Amy Cokayne — and a just red card. There was brute force and physicality as well as dexterity and sleight of hand.
Both teams excelled in front of an Auckland crowd of 42,579.
‘It was a great game, amazing,’ said England head coach Middleton. ‘We had a game plan and the red card changed it quite a bit. We sat here five years ago in the same situation but I felt much differently then. I feel hugely positive about what we’ve just witnessed.
‘A World Cup has to take the game forward and if that doesn’t take the game forward, there is something wrong. I’m pretty sure it will.’
This was the second consecutive World Cup in which England have been beaten in the final by New Zealand. This one is bound to sting.
Hunter, 37, won’t be at the next one. Her final chance has gone. Still, English rugby’s most-capped player and a brilliant ambassador showed true class to the end.
‘One result doesn’t define the squad we are,’ Hunter said. ‘Hopefully we have inspired the next generation.’
Middleton had said before flying to New Zealand that anything other than taking the trophy back to England would be a ‘disaster’ given how dominant his team had become.
This World Cup has been no disaster. But it must be seen as a big opportunity missed by England. Their first defeat since 2019 couldn’t have been more ill-timed.
‘That was the most phenomenal rugby moment of my life, hearing that crowd chanting the names of these girls,’ said victorious Black Ferns boss Smith.
Thompson was dismissed after making a sickening head-on-head contact with Portia Woodman that knocked her unconscious.
England mauled New Zealand to score four tries through Cokayne and Marlie Packer after Ellie Kildunne had crossed for a fine opener. But their numerical disadvantage eventually proved their undoing as New Zealand’s brilliant attackers made good use of the extra space.
Woodman’s replacement Ayesha Leti-I’iga scored twice while Georgia Ponsonby, Amy Rule, the outstanding Stacey Fluhler and Krystal Murray also crossed.
When the Black Ferns stole an England lineout on their own line and the white maul faltered, a home victory was secured.
Smith took over earlier this year charged with rebooting New Zealand and did exactly that. ‘I never thought I’d be standing in Eden Park and 40,000 people would be chanting for the Black Ferns,’ said Smith. ‘Something’s ignited this country around women’s rugby.’
Middleton admitted: ‘Wayne is called a professor for a reason. He’s one of the best ever.’
New Zealand did lose Kennedy Simon to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle on Abby Dow who played on before being removed for a head injury assessment.
Yet England still had time when they got a lineout five metres from the New Zealand line, and another maul try looked certain.
It didn’t happen, and England’s previous 30 straight wins were made to feel almost irrelevant.
NEW ZEALAND: Holmes, Tui, Fluhler (Tubic 71), Fitzpatrick, Woodman (Leti-I’iga 11), Demant, Cocksedge, Love (Murray 47), Ponsonby (Connor 47), Rule (Taumata 62), Roos (Ngan-Woo 64), C Bremner, A Bremner, Hirini, McMenamin (Simon 51). T: Ponsonby 18, Leti-l’iga 25, 71, Rule 40, Fluhler 41, Murray 49. C: Holmes 20, 26.
ENGLAND: Kildunne, Thompson, Scarratt, Aitchison, Dow (Heard 66); Harrison, L Packer (MacDonald 51); Cornborough (Muir 74), Cokayne (Davies 74), Bern (Brown 74), Aldcroft (O’Donnell 27), Ward, Matthews, M Packer (Kabeya 51), Hunter (Cleall 41). T: Kildunne 3, Cokayne 13, 32, 54, Packer 21. C: Scarratt 4, 15, 33. Referee: H Davidson (Scotland). Att: 42,579