Portia Woodman-Wickliffe had already cemented her legendary status in rugby before making more history against Japan. So much has been said about the wing, with the former Black Fern Kendra Cocksedge saying she “isn’t human” and the New Zealand star Ruby Tui describing her as “out of this world”.
Woodman-Wickliffe broke New Zealand’s all-time try-scoring record as the Black Ferns secured their quarter-final place with a big win.
Woodman-Wickliffe surpassed Doug Howlett, who scored 49 tries in 62 games while the Black Ferns legend reached the 50-mark in 30 Tests. She also added to her record number of World Cup tries which now stands at 22. Braxton Sorensen-McGee also laid down a marker to the rest of the tournament with an impressive hat-trick and four conversions.
Silence descended over Sandy Park for the Haka but there was a rumbling of “ooo” as Japan formed an arrow and moved forward into a line to lay their own challenge down to New Zealand. The Black Ferns legend Tui was sat just in front of the press box and she stood and followed along with the Haka too.
Less than a minute into the game the Japan full-back Sora Nishimura was injured after colliding with one of her teammates and it invigorated the team. They scored one of the best team tries of the tournament so far with the wing Sakurako Hatada finishing well. Japan continued their good start, particularly in defence and at the breakdown. But New Zealand can turn a game around and they did just that with Woodman-Wickliffe scoring.
Her try was a special piece of individual skill but Jorja Miller’s next score somehow eclipsed it, a lovely line and evading two defenders on her way to scoring. Katelyn Vaha‘akolo, Sorensen-McGee, Kennedy Tukuafu all scored before Haruka Hirotsu received a yellow card which was sent for a bunker review for head-on-head contact in a tackle but it remained a sin-bin only.
The second half began with a New Zealand yellow card for the replacement back-row Laura Bayfield for a deliberate knock-on. Japan then scored a try as Moe Tsukui went over but it wasn’t long until the Black Ferns added to their points with Sorensen-McGee in for her second.
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Bayfield was shown a second yellow and given a red card for collapsing a maul resulting in a Japanese penalty try. New Zealand responded perfectly with a great try by Miller, Sorensen-McGee completed her hat-trick and Renee Holmes also scored.
The Black Ferns’ final group match is against Ireland next Sunday.
