Rugby World Cup: New Zealand blank Scotland 57-0 in Whangarei

New Zealand 57-0 Scotland, Whangarei

New Zealand came up with a nine-try riot as they blanked Scotland 57-0 in the final Pool A World Cup game in Whangarei on Saturday.

Having already qualified for the quarter-finals, New Zealand now finish the group stage unbeaten while Scotland are out of the tournament as the two narrow defeats against Wales and Australia proved to be a difference.

It took New Zealand just two minutes to open their account as Renee Holmes dived in the corner after good work from Fitzpatrick and Hazel Tubic. Holmes though missed out on the conversion.

They doubled their tally in the 10th minute as an offload from du Plessis and quick hands from Fitzpatrick enabled Holmes to make inroads on the right and a wide pass from Holmes allowed Leti-l'iga to touchdown. Holmes missed out on the conversion but made amends in the 13th minute when Sarah Hirini dived over the line.

The bonus point came in the 16th minute as Leti-l'iga and Hirini combined to send Mikaele-Tu'u over the line and Holmes improved it to make it 24-0. Around the half-hour mark, Marino-Tauhinu collected a flat pass from Bremner with eventually FItzpatrick going over the line and Holmes converted to make it 31-0.

It was one side traffic as a pass from Tubic released Wickliffe, who went past a couple of defenders and at the stroke of half-time the New Zealand winger completed her second in just two minutes as they went into the break with a dominating 45-0 lead.

The 50-point mark was breached by New Zealand shortly after the break with Maia Roos collecting an offload from Natalie Delamere dived over and Holmes touched down after a huge carry from Sylvia Brunt in the 73rd minute as they completed a convincing victory that ended the campaign for Scotland.

Team line up:

New Zealand: Holmes; Wickliffe, Du Plessis, Fitzpatrick, Leti-l'iga; Tubic, Marino-Tauhinu; Love, Ponsonby, Rule, Ngan-Woo, Roos, Bremner, Hirini, Mikaele-Tu'u.

Reserves: Delamere, Murray, Kalounivale, Bremner, Reynolds, Cocksedge, Brunt, Demant.

Scotland: Campbell; Lloyd, Orr, Thomson, Smith; Nelson, Mattinson; Wright, Skeldon, Belisle, Wassell, Bonar, Malcolm (capt), McLachlan, Konkel-Roberts.

Reserves: Rettie, Bartlett, Dougan, O'Donnell, McMillan, McDonald, Smith, Musgrove.