Two-thirds of the crowd, which numbered 30,017, were dressed in green and roaring for Ireland. However, not even their palpable enthusiasm could help Ireland penetrate the black wall. The conviction and desperation displayed in the Black Ferns' tackling were more intense than has been seen in quite some time. It was a record win against Ireland, who were held scoreless for the first time in 14 internationals stretching back to February 2023. The Black Ferns last held an opponent scoreless in a 62-0 whitewash of Australia in 2024.
A disallowed try in the 72nd minute perfectly illustrated the Black Ferns' ruthless defence. After a quick tap by Ireland just five meters from the Black Ferns' line, winger Braxton Sorensen-McGee urgently retreated and made a lunging intervention. This led to a turnover, and fullback Renee Holmes slammed the ball into open space using her less favoured left boot. As Irish second-five-eighths Eve Higgins scrambled, Jorja Miller and Ayesha Leti-I'iga prowled. However, a delicate touch from Leti-I'iga disrupted Higgins' attempt to pick up the ball, preventing Holmes from celebrating a try from the subsequent ruck.
Still, the Black Ferns had favourable territory and after forcing another mistake, Braxton Sorensen-McGee crossed for her third try from a routine scrum move. From the restart, Leti-I'iga and Miller combined again with the Wellington winger, surging 40 metres before supplying Miller, who sent replacement halfback Maia Joseph clear.
Earlier, Ireland built sustained pressure with repeated phases, but ultimately, they were repelled emphatically each time. From a defensive viewpoint, loosehead prop Chryss Viliko set the tone early with a colossal tackle. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u thwarted a concerning lineout threat and followed that with a grasscutter as Ireland threatened. Lock Alana Bremner was immense in her contributions, and when Ireland collided with one of their own players, they lost further momentum.
The Black Ferns' initial breakthrough came in the 15th minute when centre Stacey Waaka scored her 13th Test try. Mikaele-Tu’u charged through the middle, and four passes later, Sorenson-McGee offloaded to Waaka, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner. This try marked a shift in momentum, and Viliko barreled through for another score in the 20th minute.
Sorensen-McGee was in exceptional form, gaining 114 metres with her effortless grace. However, the official Player of the Match was Sylvia Brunt, who skillfully dismantled the Irish defence like tenpins with her direct, powerful running. She had a dozen carries that laid the groundwork for an attack that got better throughout. Ireland was missing four key players who were instrumental in their 29-27 victory in Vancouver last year. Aoife Wafer, Dorothy Wall, and Erin King were all sidelined due to injury, while Eimear Considine has retired. This absence was a significant setback for Ireland, especially after they also lost fullback Stacey Flood to an injury in the first half. Waaka exploited the space that Flood would have covered, setting up Sorensen-McGee almost immediately after the injury.
The best performance of the Alan Bunting coaching era has come at a crucial time, with a quarterfinal match in Exeter against the winner of France and South Africa on the horizon.
The Black Ferns have 113 wins, two draws, and 22 losses out of 137 Test matches. Their Rugby World Cup record stands at 39 wins and just two losses, with 17 consecutive victories in Rugby World Cup matches. The referee for this match was Hollie Davidson from Scotland.
Black Ferns: 40 (Stacey Waaka, Chryss Viliko, Braxton Sorensen-McGee 3 tries, Maia Joseph; Renee Holmes try 5 cons) Ireland: 0. HT: 19-0