Ireland v Japan
All Irish fans knew their team had the beating of the Sakura.
The worry was, could they be sure they’d maintain recent progress? Sam Monaghan was back, but Scott Bemand didn’t risk Aoife Wafer.
The answer was a resounding yes. The Sakura; famed for their fast, disciplined approach, couldn’t withstand the all-round pressure brought upon them.
It took Amee-Leigh Costigan four minutes to outpace the Japanese defence down the left flank. That was an early lift for Irish confidence.
The return of Monaghan ensured safe line-out domination. Her clean take led to a drive that lurched the opposition back over their line. Try Neve Jones.
Next it was the outside backs who shone. Costigan found herself in midfield; accelerated and fed Beibhinn Parsons on the right into open country.
The Sakura are used to such setbacks and responded well, led by the pack.
The pack hammered at the line, and Haruka Hirotsu was credited with the try.
Later they scored a second through Masomi Kawamura, but the tide was flowing the other way.
A clever distracting move offered Higgins another gap that she exploited to the full. Fiona Tuute was on hand to complete the job.
For once, a deep clearance by Dannah O’Brien almost brought disaster. The Sakura countered thrillingly. Komachi Inagui was halted close to the line But as the ball moved across under the posts, Higgins intercepted and ran the length.
It takes a lot to come back from a reverse like that, and the Irish ran out comfortable winners, ending eight years of painful exile from world affairs.
Result: Ireland 42 Japan 14
Player of the Match: Brittany Hogan
Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
Brazil v South Africa
You can call this the most important game of the first round. Two southern hemisphere sides, one appearing for the first time and first representatives of South America; the other the female sector of one of the strongest unions on earth, but till recently grossly overlooked.
The Boks ran away with the game, using the power of their forwards as a first building-block. We won’t have a measure of their true progress till later. They were given a generous range of warm-up tours and matches, far more than their opponents.
I’m still concerned by the imbalance between pack and backs – all too reminiscent of their male counterparts.
As Yaras are the face of the future, from a vast country that has already made its mark in the SVNS Series.
They can only advance, especially if they can inspire girls back home.
Their successes were restricted to two penalties by their experienced No 10, Raquel Kochhann, but the enthusiasm of the team and their supporters lit up Franklin’s Gardens.
Result: Brazil 6 South Africa 66
Player of the Match: Aphiwe Ngwevu
Referee: Clara Munarini (FIR)
Northampton
Many thanks to the ex-shoe factory, Northampton, for putting on such a great day. There was a huge crowd watching, filling all four stands. Contrast that with the England-New Zealand game played there in 2021: one of the two big stands was occupied only by a few VIPs and the media.
That’s the advance women’s rugby is making.
New Zealand v Spain
This was the big game of the day, perhaps of the whole round.
Would the Kiwis cast off the doubts brought on by a second series of disturbing losses? Could the Spaniards make a case for a prompt return to the Six Nations?
One of Allan Bunting’s responses was to recall players from the successful SVNS squad. They seemed keen enough to switch back to the traditional format. I wonder why.
You can see that as an obvious step or an indication that there wasn’t enough talent coming through the Super Aupiki.
But the addition of stars of the magnitude of Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, the undoubted GOAT, and Jorja Miller (the next one?) were to prove their quality beyond doubt.
Inside four minutes Miller scored two tries, the first a solo of the utmost brilliance.
PWW had to wait till near the end to add her usual contribution, as she accepted a reverse pass to saunter over.
The major interest of the second half concerned numbers. For much of it New Zealand were reduced to 13.
In the 51st minute Kaipo Olsen-Baker suffered an ankle injury that required a trolley. Her outlook is not good. Barely four minutes later Ayesha Leti-I’Iga suffered a similar but, we hope, less serious injury.
Bunting was prepared to stay with his onfield 13. Like many other coaches he had prepared his players for such crises: it was good practice. And they scored two more tries anyway.
But the experience offered a warning to coaches of the dangers of substituting wholesale too soon.
Spain had been battling hard all through, and they gained a belated reward when Ines Antolinez Fernandez forced her way over in the 82nd minute.
To contradict the views of the hundreds of male critics scornful of the one-sided games on offer, the players and their supporters whooped with glee. It’s not every day you get to score a try against the champs.
There should be a separate competition to decide the loudest, most colourful and supportive fans at the RWC. The competition would be tight.
A great occasion.
Result: New Zealand 54 Spain 8
Player of the Match: Liana Mikaele Tu’u
Referee: Ella Goldsmith (RA)
Teams
New Zealand
15 HOLMES 14 SORENSEN-McGEE 13 DU PLESSIS 12 SETEFANO 11 LETI I’IGA 10 BRAZIER 9 HOHAIA 1 TANGEN-WAINOHU 2 GREEN 3 RULE 4 A. BREMNER (captain) 5 C. BREMNER 6 SAE 7 MILLER 8 MIKAELE TU’U
16 PONSONBY 17 VILIKO 18 KAROUNIVALE 19 BAYFIELD 20 OLSEN-BAKER 21 POURI-LANE 22 DEMANT 23 WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE
Spain
1 DELGADO (captain) 2 HERRARA 3 RODRIGUEZ 4 CASTELO 5 ALAMEDA 6 MARTINEZ 7 REMENTERIA 8 CAPELL 9 CORRES 10 ARGUDO 11 PIQUERO 12 Z. PEREZ 13 HIDALGO 14 BUERIBERI 15 DUCHER
16 JOU 17 ANTOLINEZ FERNANDEZ 18 DE ANDRE 19 PUIG 20 PINEIRO 21 ARESTI 22 VINUELA 23 C. PEREZ
