Ruthless. Merciless. Ominous.<\/p>\n
The Kiwi Ferns have put the Rugby League World Cup on notice with a 92-0 demolition of France.<\/p>\n
It was nothing short of a 70-minute slaughter under the roof in Christchurch, as the Ferns ran riot against little French resistance.<\/p>\n
Hat tricks for Stacey Waaka, Apii Nicolls, and Mele Hufanga were among the 18 tries scored, New Zealand delivering a rugby league lesson to utterly humiliate the French.<\/p>\n
A late injury call-up to the squad, winger Mackenzie Wiki opened the scoring as the Ferns showcased some slick hands through the backline.<\/p>\n
Eating up the metres at will through some damaging carries from Ivana Lauitiiti and Alexis Tauaneai, the Kiwi Ferns were in again through fullback Apii Nicholls.<\/p>\n
Debutant Chantay Kiria-Ratu got her first test try as she pirouetted through some feeble French defence and slammed it on the chalk.<\/p>\n
Nicolls stuck for her second on the next set, exploding onto a grubber through from her skipper Raecene McGregor.<\/p>\n
The captain was next to get on the scoresheet with a beautiful show and go, McGregor far to quick for the cover as she dashed away for her side’s fifth.<\/p>\n
It was another of the big names scoring the sixth, Stacey Waaka showcasing her class with a fend and step and a swerve.<\/p>\n
Out-scoring the clock, Mele Hufanga took a deft inside ball from Tenika Willison to notch her first try of the campaign, Waaka getting her second just moments later.<\/p>\n
Hufanga got her double just before halftime with a display of pure power close to the line.<\/p>\n
The rampaging centre kicked off the scoring in the second, set up by a clean Kaiyah Atai line break as the Ferns notched fifty.<\/p>\n
They would continue to pile on the points, McGregor with another silky dummy and dart for her second.<\/p>\n
After setting up several tries with some storming carries, Atai got her reward as she once again smashed her way through multiple French defenders.<\/p>\n
There was no relief for the French, Willison getting a double on debut, first sent in by Hufanga, before McGregor sent a perfect cross kick, the former Olympian evading three would be tacklers on her way to score.<\/p>\n
Waaka then decided to prove she can run over them as well as around them, bulldozing her way to a hat-trick and fifth World Cup try.<\/p>\n
Further carnage was inflicted late with Wiki and Nicholls added to their tallys, NIcolls notching the ninety with her fourth to mercifully end the massacre.<\/p>\n
While rusty in their opening encounter against Fiji, it was a well-oiled Kiwi Ferns machine in Christchurch right from kick-off, sending a serious warning to the Jillaroos.<\/p>\n