England wrap up series win

from Scrumqueens.com:

A late minute try from Jo Watmore put the gloss on a hard fought and physical battle between these two sides with England winning both the game (17-8) and the series (2-0) at Aldershot,writes Ali Donnelly

It’s England’s second successive series win over their greatest rivals and, having made nine changes for this game, they will be thrilled at how they withstood a strong second half effort from the Black Ferns who just couldn’t quite break through England’s white wall of defence.

England’s scrum was again a huge source of power and though New Zealand got their dangerous outside backs like Shakira Baker much more involved in this game, poor passing was their Achilles heel as time and time again they fluffed a series of promising attacks.

New Zealand got off to a decidedly shaky start, dropping the restart and allowing England’s outside backs time and space to make ground off good front-foot ball with Emily Scarratt and Watmore making headway.

England’s half back combination of Natasha Hunt and Alice Richardson combined well early with plenty of defending for New Zealand to do in the opening exchanges.

They did well enough with lock Rawina Everitt shining in that regard but England’s early pressure paid off with a penalty from Emily Scarratt making it 3-0 after six minutes, when her dart through the middle was too much for New Zealand’s defence to handle, as they were penalised in front of the posts.

New Zealand struck back minutes later though with a clinical score in their first visit to England’s 22. Kelly Brazier’s good kick gave them territory and Baker didn’t need to be asked twice when she found herself in space on the left.

In the end to end nature of the first half, England restored the lead with a breath-taking try. First Hannah Gallagher and Sarah Hunter combined in a neat dart into the New Zealand half and then a superb break from Richardson got them a metre out, with her offload finding Gallagher who dived over. Scarratt’s kick made it 10-5.

New Zealand surged, through the excellent duo of Everitt and Baker but England cleared and had a fine break from Hunt to thank for getting back up the park.

On the stroke of halftime Brazier hit a penalty wide to keep it at 10-5.

The Black Ferns came out firing in the second half and an early break from Emma Jenson almost had them over the line just minutes in. England’s defence held out strongly though and poor New Zealand passing let them off the hook. In the end the visitors settled for a Brazier penalty to reduce the gap to 10-8.

Unsurprisingly the game slowed down in the second half and had New Zealand’s passing not let them down at crucial times they might not have found themselves still chasing the game into the final quarter as they were much improved in attack.

A turnover won by replacement Marlie Packer gave Scarratt a chance to push England ahead on 70 minutes but the 35 metre kick was missed but the home side, through the impressive Alex Mathews were finding more and more yards around the fringes.

England lost Gallagher to the sinbin after a series of infringements but couldn’t captialise as poor passing again saw them found wanting when they found themselves with possession in England’s half.

New Zealand pressed hard as the clock wore on but England scored just before fulltime to secure the win through Watmore who gratefully latched onto a pass from a midfield turnover.

Scarratt’s kick put the gloss on the scoreline with just a few minutes on the clock. Katy McLean was binned a minute from the end but New Zealand couldn’t take advantage.

New Zealand: Selica Winiata, Hazel Tubic, Claire Richardson, Kelly Brazier, Shakira Baker, Kendra Cocksedge, Emma Jensen, Karina Stowers, Fiao’o Fa’amausili, Kathleen Wilton, Eloise Blackwell, Rawinia Everitt, Aroha Savage, Justine Lavea, Casey Robertson

Replacements: Ruth McKay (for Stowers 40), Stephanie TeOhaere-Fox (for Wilton), Aleisha Nelson (for Fox), Jackie Patea (for Blackwell 80), Lydia Crossman (for Savage 80) , Zoey Berry (for Jenson 70), Teresa Te Tamaki (for Cocksedge 72), Halie Hurring (for Tubic 70)

England: Emily Scarratt, Fran Matthews, Joanne Watmore, Amber Reed, Michaela Staniford, Alice Richardson, Natasha Hunt, Rosemarie Crowley, Emma Croker, Sophie Hemming, Tamara Taylor, Emily Braund, Alexandra Matthews, Hannah Gallagher, Sarah Hunter

Replacements: Victoria Fleetwood (for Croker 55), Rochelle Clark (for Crowley 53), Laura Keates (for Hemming 52), Rowena Burnfield (for Taylor 52), Marlie Packer (for Hunter 52), Toya Mason, Ceri Large (for Reed 62), Katy McLean (for Richardson 60)

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