Black Ferns trounce winless Wallaroos for 30th consecutive victory over rivals New Zealand storm to 40-5 drubbing in Queensland Third loss out of three for Australia in Pacific Four New Zealand consigned the Wallaroos to a third Pacific Four wooden spoon with their 30th consecutive victory over Australia’s women’s team. The Black Ferns preserved their 32-year undefeated record with a 40-5 win in Queensland on Saturday night. Siokapesi Palu scored Australia’s lone try in a typically inspirational captain’s display, but New Zealand’s six-tries-to-one drubbing followed up the Wallaroos’ 24-0 loss to Canada and 33-12 loss to the USA in the round-robin tournament, which featured four of the top eight sides in women’s rugby. The Wallaroos had been hopeful of celebrating lock Michaela Leonard’s 46th Test with a win, but she eclipsed Ashley Masters to become the most-capped Wallaroo in an all-too-familiar loss, this time at Sunshine Coast stadium. In Sam Needs’s final Test as interim coach before Rugby Australia names a permanent replacement, the Wallaroos trailed 29-5 at the break. First-half tries to Amy du Plessis and Liana Mahutariki-Fakalelu, and either side of a double for Ayesha Leti-I’iga, did the damage for New Zealand. Laura Bayfield and Justine McGregor completed the demolition job in the more competitive second half from the Wallaroos. “Look, despite the score, despite the 30 wins in a row, that was actually a really hard game out there,” New Zealand’s captain, Kennedy Tukuafu said. “We grasp that Australia have nothing to lose coming into this game….”
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