{"id":138258,"date":"2025-09-15T06:09:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T06:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/138258\/"},"modified":"2025-09-15T06:09:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T06:09:19","slug":"new-zealand-blitz-south-africa-after-break-to-reach-womens-rugby-world-cup-semis-womens-rugby-world-cup-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/138258\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand blitz South Africa after break to reach Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup semis | Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

In New Zealand rugby the female of the species is deadlier then the male. South Africa\u2019s women were always going to struggle to replicate the Springboks\u2019 record-breaking result in Wellington<\/a> a few hours earlier, but after a stop-start first half the Black Ferns raised their level significantly in the second half to secure their place in next weekend\u2019s World Cup semi-finals.<\/p>\n

That said, the final score does not tell the full story of a contest that was often as notable for South African power as belated Kiwi finesse. South Africa, smartly coached and packed with forward muscle, took their opponents on physically in virtually every area and, at 10-10 at half-time, had the Black Ferns genuinely rattled.<\/p>\n

South Africa even opted for a couple of whole team lineout mauls for extra effect, but were eventually outflanked by New Zealand\u2019s flying wings and mobile back row. On the latest great day for hyphen aficionados there was another two tries for the prolific 18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee plus a couple more for the industrious No 8, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, and the full-back, Renee Holmes.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s coaching team, even so, will take a keen interest in this particular match video. For much of the opening 40 minutes, the Blacks Ferns were seriously under the pump up front and England, with their strong scrum and considerable experience, will fancy making similar inroads if the two sides do end up meeting in the final.<\/p>\n

There were a couple of minor injury knocks for Holmes and the fast-rising flanker Jorja Miller, but the Black Ferns head coach, Allan Bunting, said his side would be better for their bruising afternoon. \u201cIt was perfect for us to get a challenge like that,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re a good team. It\u2019s only going to make us stronger moving into next week. We know what\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s full-throttle start gave the Kiwi defence a vigorous workout and made for a fascinating contrast in styles. While New Zealand have plenty of impressively lithe athletes, South Africa\u2019s set-piece supremacy and vigorous ball-carrying was impossible to ignore, with the No 8, Aseza Hele, leading the charge. New Zealand\u2019s penalty count reflected the heavy pressure they were absorbing.<\/p>\n

New Zealand\u2019s Kaipo Olsen-Baker powers over for the first of her two tries. Photograph: Andrew Boyers\/Action Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

South Africa could have registered a couple of tries before they were rewarded when their tighthead prop, Babalwa Latsha, crashed over after 20 minutes for the game\u2019s first score. It seemed as if the Black Ferns had responded immediately only for Liana Mikaele-Tu\u2019u to ground the ball just short of the line with five points tantalisingly within reach.<\/p>\n

The dam, however, would shortly burst. A South Africa clearance kick was charged down to give Theresa Setefano the chance to touch down and a solid attacking scrum offered a platform for Sorensen-McGee to ghost over on the right. Once they get ahead New Zealand generally become significantly harder to subdue and keeping their matchwinners quiet for 80 minutes is easier said than done.<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s 40-year-old captain, Nolusindiso Booi, is carried off the field after her final World Cup appearance. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n

South African limbs began to tire, energy levels began to drop and New Zealand cut loose with four tries in 14 second-half minutes. While a long way from perfect they do possess some gifted gamebreakers and the precocious Sorensen-McGee, in addition to her smoothly taken tries, is a decent goal-kicker when given the chance.<\/p>\n

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Quick GuideNew Zealand 46-17 South Africa: teams and scorersShow<\/p>\n

New Zealand: Holmes; Sorensen-McGee, Waaka, Setefano (Leti-I’iga 34), Woodman-Wickliffe; Demant (co-capt; Vaha’akolo 66), Joseph (Hohaia 59); Viliko (Tangen-Wainohu 59), Ponsonby (Lolohea 55), Mahutariki-Fakalelu (Henwood 59), Roos (Bayfield 55), Bremner, Mikaele-Tu’u, Miller (Tukuafu 45; co-capt), Olsen-Baker.\u00a0Tries: Setefano, Sorensen-McGee 2, Holmes 2, Olsen-Baker 2, Vahaakolo. Cons: Holmes, Sorensen-McGee 2.<\/p>\n

South Africa: Dolf; Samboya, Mpupha, Ngwevu (Webb 56), Malinga; Van Rensburg, Roos; Charlie (Ngxingolo 48), Gwala (Hanekom 65), Latsha (Mdlik 65), Booi (capt; Ubisi 48), Lochner (Qolo 48), Solontsi, Mcatshulwa (Makua, 64), Hele (Jacobs 48).\u00a0Tries: Latsha, Ngwevu, Makua. Con: Dolf.<\/p>\n

Referee: Sara Cox (England).<\/p>\n

Thank you for your feedback.<\/p>\n

The final word went to the Black Ferns replacement Katelyn Vahaakolo who supplied her side\u2019s eighth try to nudged them over the 40-point mark, but the South Africa coach, Swys de Bruin, believes his team\u2019s performances at this World Cup will transform perceptions of the women\u2019s game back at home. \u201cI\u2019ve been in top-level rugby for 38 years and I\u2019ve never worked with a team like this,\u201d he said. \u201cI cry with pride every day. I think a giant has awakened in South African women\u2019s rugby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another notable figure worthy of a mention was the referee, Sara Cox, who gave a calm and composed performance in her home city. As an occasion it was also a joyfully uplifting one for the women\u2019s game. There was a healthy, enthusiastic crowd, with middle-aged blokes proudly wearing pink cowboy hats and rousing renditions of Nkosi Sikelel\u2019iAfrika in the main stand. If you could bottle the atmosphere of this tournament and sprinkle a few drops over every sporting event, not a single neutral would ever leave disappointed. And the best, hopefully, is yet to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In New Zealand rugby the female of the species is deadlier then the male. South Africa\u2019s women were…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":138259,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-138258","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}