A Stacey Waaka hat-trick and masterful kicking game from skipper Raecene McGregor has guided New Zealand to a strong 32-0 World Cup semi-final win in Newcastle.
The Kiwi Ferns had their most connected performance of the campaign, but were made to fight as Samoa hung in the match until the dying stages.
Samoa made a nervous start and were shellshocked when Mackenzie Wiki dived over in the corner in the 2nd minute to give the Kiwi Ferns a 4-0 lead despite question marks over the put-down.
But New Zealand weren’t about to run away with it, making a string of handling errors in the face of the physical defence of their opposition.
Match: New Zealand v Samoa
Semi Final -
home Team
New Zealand
1st Position
away Team
Samoa
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Samoa managed to control possession in the New Zealand half for multiple repeat sets midway through the first stanza, but the attack didn’t flow enough the challenge the Kiwi Ferns defence.
After withstanding the pressure, the Kiwi Ferns added to their tally with a bit of fortune as halfback Raecene McGregor put a short chip into space on the try line, only for the ball to bounce on its point to allow Stacey Waaka to jump over everyone and come down with the four points.
Stacey Waaka Try
It heralded in stark change in conditions as a blustery weather front rolled in, shaking the goalposts and making it tough for Chantay Kiria-Ratu to keep it on the tee, making goalkicking difficult.
The 8-0 half-time lead was extended soon after the break when McGregor and Waaka combined once again.
Receiving a pass off the back of an offload from Mele Hufanga, who was running rampant, the No.7 stepped inside a would-be defender and placed a deft cross-field kick into the arms of centre Waaka to score, and Kiria-Ratu’s conversion made it 14-0 after 45 minutes.
Stacey Waaka 3rd Try
Samoa was throwing the ball around trying desperately to give themselves a sniff but struggled with execution, being pinged for a number of forward passes at critical moments.
The result was sealed by the 60th minute after Hufanga and second rower Kaiya Atai scored in back-to-back sets.
The game opened up and Waaka completed her hat-trick thanks to a flying flick pass from Annessa Biddle, before Raecene McGregor finished off the 32-0 win with a well-deserved four-pointer.
The Kiwi Ferns await the winner of the Jillaroos vs Fiji Bulikula semi-final on Sunday ahead of the World Cup final on November 15.
