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It took only 67 seconds to New Zealand to score the first five points on the board on a sunny afternoon in Hamilton, and those 67 seconds were close France would enter the first Test of this three-game series.
It was 43-0 by halftime, and 81-12 by the end. The Kiwis set up an impressive streak with Tests in Whangarei and Christchurch remaining in the series.
Here’s how they rated it.
1. Chryss Viliko – 8
Willik’s powerful strike in the 12th minute helped set the physical tone for the Black Ferns defence. The scrum didn’t always go New Zealand’s way, but it often set the platform and put France under pressure.
2. Georgia Ponsonby – 8
In such a complete performance, the Black Ferns captain deserves credit for clearly leading the week of preparation. The line fumbled only momentarily, and the play required just four tackles and seven carries from it.
3. Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu – 9
Mahutariki-Fakalelu is becoming one of the stars of this Black Ferns team, and one of the most dominant props on the planet. Her defense in Hamilton was extremely powerful, seeing her finish the game with the most dominant tackles. In attack, her combination of deft touches at the head of the pod and rumbling crash balls contributed greatly to the front foot ball that New Zealand enjoyed all afternoon.
4. Maiakawanakaulani Roos – 8
The engine room did its job in Hamilton, with Roos doing an unglamorous job of keeping the Kiwi attack purring. The line was operating at 91 percent in the afternoon, while the French line was operating at only 50 percent.
5. Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu – 7
Vaipulu stayed out of penalty trouble and shouldered the breakdown to secure possession. She made only two tackles as her team had 62 percent of possession. A quiet but productive performance from the second row forward.
6. Liana Mikaele-Tutu – 8
Mikaele-Tu’u’s composure in such a young team was felt at various times in Hamilton. The 24-year-old knew when to inject her physicality and how to buy time for her team when clearing loose balls. It was a quieter game with ball in hand for the bruising flanker, but her team was better because of the work she did around the issues and her presence on the park.
7. Elinor-Plum King –
8. Kaipo Olsen-Baker – 9
As usual, Olsen-Baker was code for cheating on the front foot for 80 minutes of excellent rugby in Hamilton. She had nearly twice as many first-half carries as anyone else on the park, and led the Test in meters carried as a result, despite her back line making 14 line breaks in the first half.
9. Maia Joseph – 8.5
One of the best performances from the 24-year-old in her young Black Ferns career. Although some shots from the box left a little to be desired, her passing was incisive and facilitated a pace of play that left France in the dust. Her two tries were just reward for her support play and she started the game as well as Kiwi fans could have hoped.
10. Hannah King – 9
King is mastering his craft as a triple-threat playmaker. Her vision to find space off the boot was exceptional in Hamilton, even chasing her own chip and sprinting ahead of her team’s second try. Meanwhile, in swinging attacks, she remained composed on the line and made good decisions that contributed to line breaks.
11. Ayesha Leti-I’iga – 8
The powerful winger made four breaks in Hamilton, chasing fierce kicks and grabbing two tries in the process.
12. Logo-I-Puluto Lampu-Atai’i Sylvia Brunt – 8
Brunt provided her usual bruising ball-carrying without being as pivotal to New Zealand’s success as we’re used to seeing. But when your team is scoring more than a point a minute, there’s no need to impose yourself on the game beyond the opportunities that come your way.
13. Amy Du Plessis – 8
Du Plessis ended the break she started with a cross-field shot for Ayesha Leti-I’ig in the 23rd minute. Although the kick didn’t put her winger on the front foot, it did take advantage of the open space thanks to the Black Ferns’ work rate that popped up in support. She got back over the line four minutes later thanks to more support play.
14. Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a –
October 17, 2026 will be remembered as the day Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a introduced herself to the world of rugby. In just her fourth Test and second start, the 20-year-old made four tries. The pace and power on display brought back memories of some of the great wingers New Zealand has produced.
15. Braxton Sorensen-McGee – 7
In a game packed with superstars for New Zealand, the country’s young phenom had some heartbreaking moments. She started the Test with a reckless wicket, and that wasn’t her only day in the day, as she worked mainly as a distributor before later finding herself on the wing later in the Test. Sorensen-McGee found her groove later in the game after missing five of her first nine attempts. Regardless, the full-back still managed to win as many attempts as anyone, with a handful of offloads and a powerful strike down the right-hand side in the 61st minute.
Reserves – 7.5
There was some hesitation as the bench entered the game for New Zealand, and France took advantage to score the first points of the game in the 58th minute. The reserves rose to their feet though, as Tara Turner’s distribution starred in Ruahei Demanto’s 65th-minute try, and Layla Sae introduced herself to the French defense soon after.