Scotland wing Rhona Shepherd is tackled by two New Zealand players, including captain Farah Palmer (top), in a match the Black Ferns won 21-0 at Ellerslie.

New Zealand had to dig deep to beat a spirited Scotland
Photo: Dale MacMillan 

New Zealand 21-0 Scotland

Three tries in six second half minutes saw New Zealand overcome a spirited Scotland side 21-0 to maintain their unbeaten record in the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006.

New Zealand had scored 116 points and conceded only seven in their two previous games in Edmonton, but Scotland’s determination to keep the score tight to try and claim a bonus point was evident from the outset.

A third minute penalty by Hannah Myers gave the Black Ferns - in their unfamiliar white kit - a 3-0 early advantage at Ellerslie Rugby Park, but playing into the wind in the first half they found themselves pinned in their own 22 for long periods by Scotland.

Scotland captain Paula Chalmers missed a couple of penalty attempts, but Myers made no mistake with her second on 25 minutes and the score line remained locked at 6-0 for the rest of the half.

Close call


The second half started much like the first with Scotland pressing hard for that opening try. In the end though it was New Zealand who struck first, Monalisa Codling winning the ball in the lineout and then finishing the move in the corner.

New Zealand made a number of substitutions, including bringing on their leading try scorer Amiria Marsh, before a good run by Stephanie Mortimer saw her fellow wing Victoria Blackledge touch down in the 59th minute.

Three minutes later and Mortimer got the reward for her hard running, the wing having the pace to run around her Scottish marker to score the third try of the game for New Zealand.

Scotland continued to battle, trying to find a way to break through the resolute Black Ferns defence, but it was not to be and with other results going against them they miss out on the semi-finals on point difference.

QUOTES

New Zealand Jed Rowlands:
"I think today perhaps we struggled a bit, but in saying that we have got through the tournament pretty unscathed and things that we have been trying seem to work and today I knew Scotland were going to push us anyway because they needed a point or get close to us, so that first half was pretty physical, pretty close, we couldn't get a roll on."

New Zealand captain Farah Palmer: "Definitely a tough game, it was quite intense there for a while and we are not used to tight games so we had to really dig in deep and tell ourselves to be patient and put some phases together. We knew they were going to keep it tight and really give it to us in the forwards, so we were prepared for it, I think we were just a little nervous and a little anxious and we just needed to calm down."

Scotland coach Gil Stevenson: "I am extremely proud of the tenacity that the girls put into their game today, they really took the game to New Zealand and they worked very, very hard, I am extremely proud of every one of them, they tried their hearts out."

Scotland captain Paula Chalmers: "I think we certainly had most of the play, but we knew we had to go out there and play 40 minutes of good rugby with the wind behind us and that is what we tried to do but it just didn't come off for us."


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