Opinion: Teen sensation ‘restores New Zealand rugby pride’ as Black Ferns overcome Bok Women’s ‘heft and muscle’
The Black Ferns secured a 46-17 win over the Springbok Women in the World Cup quarter-final.
Twelve thousand miles from Wellington and the scene of the All Blacks’ darkest hour, a teenager restored New Zealand rugby pride at the Women’s World Cup.
At 18 years old, Braxton Sorensen-McGee was the youngest Kiwi involved in the two internationals against South Africa on this momentous weekend for the sport.
By the time she took to the field in Exeter for the Black Ferns’ quarter-final against Springbok Women, much of her country were already asleep, doubtless reliving the rugby nightmare that was the All Blacks’ heaviest ever defeat.
With a place in the last four at stake, the tournament’s top scorer, both of tries and overall points, did not need any added motivation to beat a nation New Zealand have never lost to in women’s rugby.
But she got it just the same from the way the Men in Black were demolished by Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks in the Kiwi capital hours before.
The teen sensation’s response was to score two tries and nail a touchline conversion in a 46-17 victory, which sent her team into the semi-finals of a tournament they have won six times.
But that tells only half the story, as those scores came with her all-conquering side on the back foot and facing the mother of all challenges from Swys de Bruin’s never-say-die Boks.
Playing in their first-ever World Cup knockout match, South Africa belied 66/1 odds to lead after 25 minutes through Babalwa Latsha’s try and be level at half-time after Sanelisiwe Charlie crossed with the last play of the first half.
They had brought with them to Sandy Park a game plan built on heft and muscle. De Bruin had picked a monster pack and loaded the bench with another seven forwards.
The upshot was New Zealand having to make 45 of the game’s first 48 tackles. After 20 minutes, the count was 95-8, by half-time 116-16, as the Bok Women blasted time and again into the black defensive wall.
At the break, with the scores tied and the Bomb squad still to appear, people were seriously starting to wonder whether a Black Ferns team with only two losses in 41 World Cup games dating back to 1991 were heading out of the competition.
It was not to be as Sorensen-McGee, who had finished off a neat move for her first try on 29 minutes, bagged her second from a pass by Jorja Miller to make it eight for the tournament.
“Jeepers, she has been outstanding,” said 2022 World Cup winner Ruby Tui. “Always on the end, she knows how to finish. She’s going to do things that we haven’t seen before.
“She’s the most clinical [winger in the world]. She has 52 points to her name, and we’re not even in the semi-finals yet.
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“At 18, her first World Cup, she’s going to be in the [record] books. She could break one for how many points at five-plus World Cups.”
South Africa will kick themselves for the seven minutes immediately after half-time, in which the match was lost. On reflection, keeping New Zealand waiting to start the new half was probably not their best move.
Within 37 seconds, Renee Holmes had scored the first of her two tries. Sorensen-McGee struck moments afterwards, followed by two in quick succession for player of the match Kaipo Olsen-Baker.
Four tries in 14 minutes and that was that, though it could not dent the pride the Springbok Women felt at the end, as they sang and danced with their opposite numbers.
“We wanted to challenge them and make them feel how we want to be the next generation,” said Boks No.8 Aseza Hele. “I am super proud of my girls.
“It’s a learning curve for us. We are going far with this team. The next World Cup, we’re going to bring specials. People now know we are here and we belong here.”
The future may well belong to them, but this day was New Zealand’s. After what went before, that was quite a relief.
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