After an erratic start, the Black Ferns improved throughout the match; however, concerns will remain regarding the welfare of Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Ayesha Leti-I'iga, both of whom left the field due to injury.
Leti-I'iga charged down Spain's opening clearance from Amalia Argudo, with it taking three minutes before Spain even touched the ball.
The Black Ferns took a dozen minutes to break the stalemate. Jorja Miller surged down the left wing. Slight of hand by Liana Mikaele-Tu'u created space, followed by a strong charge from Alana Bremner, and Miller finished the move by touching down on the edge.
Just four minutes later, Miller scored again on the opposite wing after Spain dispatched the restart over the dead-ball line. The Black Ferns built phases from a midfield scrum; centre Amy du Plessis fired a stellar pass to Braxton Sorensen-McGee that would have traversed the local Clifton Bridge, allowing Miller to scamper clear for a second.
Miller blasted through from the restart, and had Thressa Setefano held onto the pass, she would have faced only open space ahead.
Liana Mikaele-Tu'u was officially acknowledged as Player of the Match. Her direct and powerful runs from No. 8 often left Spain sprawling. When she barrelled over in the 24th minute, the score was 19-0.
Spain showed determination, mauling strongly and tackling fiercely. Alba Capell (23) and Monica Castelo (22) led the individual tackle counts, with a dozen players making ten or more tackles.
In the 34th minute, Amalia Argudo slotted a penalty from the 22-metre line. Argudo, who has overcome six collarbone surgeries over six years, is a Sevens player who won the Elite 1 championship with Stade Toulousain in 2021 and 2022.
The Black Ferns emptied the bench in the second half, with Georgia Ponsonby, Chryss Viliko, Tanya Kalounivale, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Risaleaana Pouri-Lane, and Ruahei Demant injected. The Black Ferns' approach became more direct and aggressive, with Mikaele-Tu'u and Layla Sae combining for 36 carries and 215 metres gained. Sae made a strong run up the middle before Holmes wobbled a pass to Ayesha Leti-I'iga for the Black Ferns' fifth try.
Hooker Georgia Ponsonby then rumbled over from a 15-metre rolling maul for the sixth try. In the 53rd minute, Kaipo Olsen-Baker was carted off the field in significant distress. She missed the last Rugby World Cup due to injury.
The Black Ferns will be pleased with the authority shown by their scrum, and Leti-I'iga’s second try was a stroll. Another bullying run from Sae created the impetus for Renee Holmes to send Portia Woodman-Wickliffe clear for her 21st Rugby World Cup try.
The Black Ferns struggled with discipline close to full-time, and after several determined pick-and-goes, replacement prop Ines Antolinez Fernandez managed to wriggle over for a historic try in her 23rd Test. She balances her sports career with work as a podiatrist.
The Black Ferns have won 111, drawn two, and lost 22 out of 135 Test matches. Their Rugby World Cup record stands at 37 wins and 2 losses, and they have achieved 15 consecutive wins in Rugby World Cup matches.
Spain is making its seventh appearance in the Rugby World Cup, with a record of 14 wins and 16 losses. Their best finish occurred in 1991 when they placed sixth. The Black Ferns faced Spain in an unofficial friendly in 1991, resulting in a 0-0 draw. In 1998, the Black Ferns won a quarter-final against Spain, 46-3 in Amsterdam.
In that match, Black Fern #80 Cheryl Waaka scored two tries. A 55-year-old mother of two, Waaka was an uncompromising loose forward, winning 19 of her 20 Test matches, including World Cup finals in 1998 and 2002. She scored in the 19-9 Rugby World Cup final victory against England in 2002. As a coach, Waaka has mentored Black Ferns, including Krystal Murray and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe. Waaka was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. Mikaele-Tu'u paid tribute, stating,
“We talk about legacy a lot in this team, and if it weren’t for women like Cheryl, we wouldn’t be here today. She was ripping it before I was even born. We have donated some jerseys to help fundraise for her treatment. As a group, we were eager to show our love for Cheryl and this jersey with a strong start against Spain.”
Black Ferns: 54 (Jorja Miller 2, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Ayesha Leti-I'iga 2, Georgia Ponsonby, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Theresa Setefano tries; Renee Holmes 7 cons) Spain: 8 (Ines Antolinez Fernandez try; Amalia Argudo pen) HT: 21-3