Key events
67 mins: A little break as Nicholls falls to the ground clutching her hamstring. A disappointing end to her World Cup campaign. The Ferns look like they may score after a great fifth tackle kick and receive and some great passing, but Kelly pulls out a brilliant try-saving tackle.
65 mins: A big carry and some strong post-contact metres from Biddle on the third tackle for the Ferns. They try to make a big last tackle play, but they can’t get a kick away and the Jillaroos shut them down. Once again they can’t quite complete their set on the last tackle – Southwell makes a good line break and flicks the ball out to Apps, but she can’t control it.
63 mins: The Ferns complete their set and Upton picks up the kick and runs it. They nearly complete their set, but there’s another forward pass called on the last tackle and hand the ball back over to the Ferns – they’ve now made nine errors in the second half.
61 mins: Sergis makes a strong line break and gets the Jillaroos back on track. But soon after, the referee rules a forward pass and we have another change of possession. It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a completed set. The Ferns take the scrum feed and march on down the field.
59 mins: An error from Church gives the ball back to the Ferns, but a couple of tackles later, Biddle makes an error as well. We take a quick break with a head clash between Taufa and McGregor. Taufa gets taped up on the field, while McGregor heads off for a HIA. The Jillaroos get the scrum feed, but Aiken immediately loses the ball. The Ferns then lose the ball a few tackles later. The wheels are falling off both teams now.
57 mins: The Ferns start with the ball after the break and play a decent set, but there’s no contest on the kick receive – they need to put more pressure on at this stage of the game.
We’re taking a drinks break now – both teams will be happy for this reprieve from the stifling heat and humidity.
55 mins: The Ferns get a penalty for Chapman being offside and they have a huge opportunity now. The Jillaroos defence is unbreakable, they are so strong and determined, wrapping them up ball and all to stop the offloads. The Jillaroos get the ball from their 20m line after the kick goes dead in goal and get on the attack.
53 mins: Some great footwork and offloading from the Jillaroos as they get close to the line. Penitani Gray is ruled to knock the ball on in the tackle – the Jillaroos challenge but finally they get one wrong and the Ferns get the scrum feed. A great line break from Nicholl gets them down the field and there are some huge try-saving tackles on the line from Kelly and Chapman.
51 mins: Southwell finishes the Jillaroos’ set with an absolutely fantastic kick that settles right down in the corner of the field. But Southwell undoes her good work by giving away a penalty for crowding in the tackle. And then Waaka loses in the ball in the tackle on the first play. The heat may be starting to get to both teams now.
49 mins: A scrum feed from the Ferns 10m out and they have the opportunity to score the first points of the half. The Jillaroos hold a strong line and make it very difficult. The Ferns get a kick through the line, which is taken by Upton and she does very well to get back into the field of play.
47 mins: Chapman fields the bomb from Kiria-Ratu with ease and the Jillaroos look to get down the field and score their first points in the second half. But the Ferns hold them down in their own half in a good defensive display. They follow it up with strong counterattack – they’re looking better in this half and appear to have plenty of fight left in them. McGregor puts up a brilliant kick, Church comes down with it, but loses it in the tackle.
45 mins: Another successful captain’s challenge from the Jillaroos – Belinda Sharpe is sure she’s going to catch them in a genuine knock on one of these times, but it hasn’t happened yet. A big line break from Kernick, but her pass can’t find Apps and the Ferns dive on it. Waaka tries some fancy footwork to break through the line, but the defence is too strong.
43 mins: Another strong set from the Jillaroos that finished with a good kick from Southwell, who threads it through, but Kelly gives away a penalty with a high tackle on the kick receive. Penitani Gray then gives away another and ends up on report for a dangerous tackle.
41 mins: Aiken nearly dives over the line, but is held up in a brilliant try-saving tackle by Nicholl. It’s a good set for the Ferns, finished with a spiralling kick that Church controls with her foot and guides over to Upton.
39 mins: Church makes another great line break, offloads to Bent, who gets it to Aiken for a deft little kick. The Ferns are forced into a line drop out and it’s another attacking set for the Jillaroos.
37 mins: Sergis nearly comes up with the ball from the kick off, but the Ferns grab it and make their way down field. Plenty of great offloads nearly gets them down to the try line, but they put up a kick and Sergis collects it, makes a great run, then there’s an intercept from the Ferns, then they lose the ball, the Jillaroos pick it up again and the referee rules a double knock on, with the Jillaroos getting the first touch. They again challenge it and are successful, so get the ball back on their own 20m line.
Second half begins
The Jillaroos have kicked off and the second half is underway!
Taking a look at some stats now – the Jillaroos have had 58% of the possession, which isn’t miles more than the Ferns, but they have done so much more with it. Australia lead the run metres 882m to 384m, which is very telling. The Australian women also have seven line breaks to one and 21 tackle breaks to four, so it has been very hard for the Ferns to match it considering their solid, but not amazing sets. They’ll work hard to try to reverse some of these stats in the second half.
Half time: Australia 34-6
A hugely dominant half for the Jillaroos, who have put their heart and soul into this match so far and are desperate to take home this World Cup. Chapman starred with three tries in the half, equalling the record for most tries in a tournament. Speaking at the break, she was confident in her team’s ability to close this match out in the second half.
“I am happy with how we are going but we still have another half, we’ll be ready to come back out,” she said. “It is so humid and hot. It feels like Bali, I’m going there next week! It’s good on the lungs but we are fitter and stronger and we’ll come out in the second half and go again.”
The Kiwi Ferns haven’t been playing badly, but they just haven’t been at the same level as the Jillaroos. There haven’t been too many errors, but they aren’t able to match the dynamism and flair of the Australians so far. But with the extended half time break and a bit of a rev up, they may be able to turn this around and have a strong second half.
35 mins: Just 30 seconds before half time for the Jillaroos to try to add to their score and they immediately pick up a penalty and take a quick tap. They get another penalty for a late hit on the kicker, but they opt not to make another run and Southwell flops on the ground to take us to half time.
GOAL! Australia 34-6 New Zealand (Southwell 34′)
Upton has made this one nice and easy for Southwell and she adds the two points.
TRY! Australia 32-6 New Zealand (Upton 32′)
The Ferns take the scrum feed 40m out from Australia’s line and push down the field. An offload to McGregor gets her into some space, she passes to Waaka who drops the ball and the Jillaroos are back on the attack. A good line break from Southwell gets them into strong field position and then Church and Upton combine on the wing for a little give and go to put Upton over – running across to put the ball down near the uprights.
31 mins: Another challenging kick for Southwell, but she can’t slot this one and it hits the post. The Jillaroos start another set, but lose the ball through an incorrect play the ball.
TRY! Australia 28-6 New Zealand (Chapman 28′)
A huge line break from Chapman sees her power down the field past the defence and gets her third try of the match!
29 mins: The Ferns start the set deep in their own half, but they look determined and are making some good post-contact metres and looking for offloads. A really nice kick from Kiria-Ratu finds Waaka, who offloads the ball. There is a knock on ruled against Australia, but a captain’s challenge finds that they did not in fact touch the ball and we go back to the previous play the ball. The Ferns put up a bomb that is taken well by Aiken.
27 mins: The Ferns nearly make a grave error from the kick off, but they manage to hold on to the ball. They’re playing with more confidence after the try and it’s a good set. The Jillaroos push down field, wanting to add more points before half time.
GOAL! Australia 24-6 New Zealand (Kiria-Ratu 24′)
An easy conversion for Kiria-Ratu and she closes the gap.
TRY! Australia 24-4 New Zealand (Mato 23′)
Chapman takes the ball brilliantly, but the Ferns get the ball back as Penitani Gray is ruled to have made an illegal tackle on the kicker. Another penalty follows soon after for Aiken getting her hands in the ruck and the Ferns capitalise, with Mato crashing over the line, right next to the uprights.
22 mins: A good kick receive from the Jillaroos this time after that mix up earlier. A good set from Australia, gaining more than 60m, as they have on many of their sets today. Hufanga makes a nice little run, but is brought down on her own 30m line.
We’ve got the aforementioned drinks break happening now. Some contention about the last try, as it appears there was a forward pass to Sergis, but the bunker can’t rule on that, so the try stands.
GOAL! Australia 24-0 New Zealand (Southwell 20′)
The simplest conversion yet for Southwell – she knocks it over from right in front.
TRY! Australia 22-0 New Zealand (Sergis 18′)
A huge line break from Sergis, who sprints through and runs the length of the field to score under the post.
19 mins: A solid set from the Ferns, but nothing particularly dynamic or exciting about it, which is what they need at the moment to break through this Jillaroos defensive line.
18 mins: Another strong run from the Jillaroos to start the set – they are looking so dominant out there. Nicholls takes the ball strongly from the last tackle play and Jillaroos captain Isabelle Kelly is penalised for tackling her in the air.
GOAL! Australia 18-0 New Zealand (Southwell 15’)
A stunner from Southwell from right up against the sideline, she slides it right between the posts.
TRY! Australia 16-0 New Zealand (Chapman 14′)
A loose ball from the penalty sets the ball back to the 30m line, but the Jillaroos make a strong play down the short side and Chapman almost does a handspring putting it down in the corner!
14 mins: A huge run from Church down the sideline sees the ball quickly over to Aiken who puts in a great kick for Sergis, but Nicholls dives on it for the Ferns and the Jillaroos get a line drop out. A big line break from Aiken on the third tackle forces a defensive error from the Ferns and the Jillaroos get a penalty.
12 mins: A strong kick from Kiria-Ratu is fielded well by Church and the Jillaroos make their way back down the field. An error from Elliott hands the ball back to the Ferns. A strong run from Mele Hufanga sets up a good play and Waaka nearly breaks through, gets it to McGregor, but Upton steals the ball for Australia.
10 mins: Not the best decision-making from the Ferns on the last tackle, getting caught without any options and having to take the tackle a few metres out from the line. They make up for it with strong defence, that nearly drags Sergis back into the in goal. A solid set from the Jillaroos follows and the Ferns start again from their own 30m line.
8 mins: A miscommunication between Upton and Taufa, crashing into each other and dropping the kick off as a result. New Zealand nearly make an immediate error when they get the ball back, but manage to control in and keep their field position.
GOAL! Australia 12-0 New Zealand (Southwell 6′)
An easier conversion from Southwell this time and she makes no mistake.
TRY! Australia 10-0 New Zealand (Bent 5′)
A powerful start for the Jillaroos, with a strong set and a simple line break from Bent.
5 mins: We’ve found out that due to the heat and humidity today, there will be a drinks break taken halfway through each half and an extended half time break.
GOAL! Australia 6-0 New Zealand (Southwell 3′)
A stunning conversion from the sideline, Southwell shows no sign of nerves at all.
TRY! Australia 4-0 New Zealand (Chapman 2′)
A set play from the scrum feed gets the ball quickly from one side of the field to the other and Chapman gets it down in the corner, dragging three defenders with her.
2 mins: A good kick off from the Ferns to get us started and Taufa gets the first run of the final. It’s a good first set from the Jillaroos and they make the Ferns start deep in their own half. Nerves from Atai who drops the ball early in the tackle count to give the Jillaroos a scrum feed 10m out.
The Kiwi Ferns have kicked off and we’re underway!
We now have the Haka from the Kiwi Ferns – a very powerful moment on the field.
The teams have entered the field now for the pre-match ceremony – not long to go until kick off.
The weather is muggy and humid in Brisbane today – it’s currently 28.6 degrees and 72% humidity. Both teams will have to be smart in how they manage their benches to reduce the impact of fatigue.
Both teams will line up as listed, with no late changes. New Zealand will play the same 17 who beat Samoa 32-0 in their semi final in Newcastle last Saturday. Australia has made one change from their semi final win over Fiji, bringing Jesse Southwell in at five eighth, replacing Jocelyn Kelleher.
Team list: New Zealand
1. Apii Nicholls 2. Leianne Tufuga 3. Mele Hufanga 4. Stacey Waaka 5. Mackenzie Wiki 6. Chantay Kiria-Ratu 7. Raecene McGregor 8. Alexis Tauaneai 9. Georgia Hale 10. Otesa Pule 11. Shaniece Monschau 12. Kaiyah Atai 13. Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa Interchange 14. Ashleigh Quinlan 15. Annessa Biddle 16. Shannon Mato 17. Ivana Lauitiiti
Team list: Australia
1. Tamika Upton 2. Jaime Chapman 3. Jessica Sergis 4. Isabelle Kelly 5. Abbi Church 6. Jesse Southwell 7. Tarryn Aiken 8. Millie Elliott 9. Olivia Higgins 10. Simaima Taufa 11. Tiana Penitani Gray 12. Shaylee Bent 13. Olivia Kernick Interchange: 14. Keeley Nizza 15. Keilee Joseph 16. Kezie Apps 17. Sariah Paki
If you’d like a refresher on how the Jillaroos made it to today’s final, Jack Snape’s match report from their semi final win over Fiji will help you get up to speed.
Preamble
_(ef04def6065c81ceb7d81c967f1e2095c2d32a4d).png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=e9b9293758a22d40baaefc91e2ea77e9 "Australia v New Zealand: Women’s Rugby League World Cup final – live")
Megan Maurice
Hello and welcome to the final of the Rugby League World Cup! It feels like it’s been going for most of this year at least, but at last here we are at its conclusion. I don’t think you’ll find too many people are surprised with the fact that we have ended up with an Australia v New Zealand final.
The Jillaroos are naturally the favourites, having only lost one of their previous 12 matches to the Kiwi Ferns, the loss taking place in 2023 – so it’s been a long time between drinks.
The last three World Cup finals have featured these two teams and the Jillaroos have won all three. The last time the Kiwi Ferns won a World Cup final was 2008, when they had a dominant 34-0 win against the Jillaroos at Lang Park, Brisbane – coincidentally the same venue where today’s final is being played. Fun fact – when the Kiwi Ferns last won a World Cup final, Jillaroos’ five-eighth Jesse Southwell was just three years old.
However, while the Jillaroos go in as the favourites, don’t discount the Kiwi Ferns, who will be determined to create an upset. Stacey Waaka has her sights on becoming the first ever player to win both a rugby union 15s and a rugby league world cup, which will be quite the achievement if she manages it. Kiwi Ferns’ halfback Raecene McGregor is also an extremely smart and talented player, who will certainly have some plans to try to undo the Jillaroos’ dominance.
There’s plenty to discuss, so let’s get into it!
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