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The Black Ferns opened their three-Test series against France with a huge 81-12 win in Hamilton.
The hosts piled up 60 points before the visitors managed to fire the first shot, with France’s second try coming in the dying minutes.
New Zealand’s 23 line breaks dwarfed France’s two, and while Ayesha Leti-I’iga was responsible for four of them, there were 11 other Kiwis who broke the French line in a superb team performance. 20-year-old rookie Shyrah Tuliau-Tua’a scored four tries in the second half, while Amy Du Plessis, Maia Joseph and Ayesha Leti-I’iga scored a brace.
Black ferns find clinical advantage
When these teams met in Lyon last month, France bettered New Zealand’s conversion rate of 22 million, and it is not unusual for Whitney Hansen’s side to lose that statistic. The Black Ferns have been a team of more than quantity so far in 2026, scoring 2.9 points per 22m entry. That’s certainly respectable, but only 0.5 points per entry more than what their opponents managed against them, despite some big wins. Their superpower is the volume of 22 million applications.
In Hamilton, the Black Ferns entered France’s 22-metre zone 20 times and converted at a rate of four points per entry. On the face of it, both figures look impressive, but that 22 million application volume isn’t particularly significant for the Black Ferns, who average 15.5.
When quantity meets quality, you get 81-12 shelling.
After the Test, Black Ferns head coach Whitney Hansen said: “We talked a lot about icing it this week. About being clinical and finishing those moments.”
It’s fair to say the message got through, and perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was how consistent it was New Zealand they were during 80 minutes. There was no complacency at half-time; there was no shutout after they built a lead of 40, 50, 60 or even 70 points. They scored 43 points in the first half and 38 in the second. It took 65 seconds to score the first try of the first half and 75 seconds to score the first try of the second half.
This Kiwi team was called on from the start and stayed locked in for the 80 minute performance.
Rugby is a simple game
The Black Ferns’ ambition under the last coaching regime was holding them back. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; you don’t need three turns per stage with players running in from all sorts of angles hoping to wreak havoc and eventually run through a gaping hole in the defense.
You have to wear and clean. You have to catch and pass. You have to win collisions. That’s what Whitney Hansen has rebuilt in this Black Ferns team.
Hansen’s pragmatism unlocked her team’s offense, and she did so with the same offensive coach, only with a new, well-communicated vision.
There were more ambitious moments in Hamilton when the attacking shape became more complex and, as was often the case last year, the ball hit the deck as a result. It was a reminder of where this team has come in the six months since Hansen took over, and also a reminder of why their evolution has been so effective.
The team will likely build their structures during this World Cup cycle, but their ambition must remain measured if they want a sustainable game plan for when the lights are at their brightest.
France is waiting for a long series
Eek. Delivering 81 points will hurt this side, but the question is: where do they go from here?
At this year’s Six Nations, France led the competition in dominant tackles and was in the middle of the pack in turnovers won. In Hamilton, they were completely lost when trying to slow down the Black Ferns’ hurling, unable to compete for possession at the breakdown despite making almost as many dominant tries as New Zealand.
They obviously can’t afford to struggle at 72 percent again, and they can’t afford to miss their big defensive moments. New Zealand’s failure to disrupt possession meant the Kiwis made 103 more possessions than France.
On the other side of the Whangarei Test next week is the series finale in Christchurch which is expected to attract huge crowds and the Black Ferns will no doubt be keen to impress under the new roof. The bar has been set, and this series will surely test the character of the French national team.