In northern Australia, they call this time of the year “the build up” – a sub-tropical rise in heat and pressure where dark clouds roil and minds melt before the heavens open. At Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, it was Australia’s Jillaroos who brought the storm, dominating their New Zealand rivals from the get-go and raining down six first-half tries to win 34-10 and thunder their way to a fourth consecutive World Cup title.
If this Australian apocalypse had a horsewoman, it was star winger Jaime Chapman. The long-striding speedster scored three sensational tries in the first half alone to take her tournament tally to 13, breaking the record for an individual at a World Cup. Chapman already has 521,000 Instagram followers around the rugby-loving world. After this try-scoring spree – she now has 18 from her 10 Tests – it’ll be a million.
New Zealand entered this final as underdogs, having not beaten their trans-Tasman rivals in three years. But they were fizzing with belief after demolishing Samoa 32-0 in the semi-final and their star convert Stacey Waaka had collected the Golden Boot as best player in the game during the week. The last time the Kiwi Ferns had won a World Cup final was 2008, when they thumped the Jillaroos 34-0 at this same venue.
Australia had won 13 of their last 14 against New Zealand but they stumbled last week against Fiji, finding themselves 8-0 down before kicking away to win 30-14. The Fiji Bulikula had shown Australia were vulnerable. Hurt them early and history beckoned. And when Jillaroos coach Jess Skinner dropped a bombshell on matchday by axing gun half Jocelyn Kelleher for understudy Jesse Southwell, 21, the Kiwis smelled blood.
Unfortunately, the only blood they tasted in the first half was their own. From the outset, New Zealand leaked errors and looked outclassed. For all the fury in their haka, they had no answer for the Jillaroos’ relentless speed, power and stamina. Australia led 12-0 down after seven minutes, 24-0 after 20 and 34-6 after 35. At half-time they were like overcooked fish and chips – burnt on the edges, battered all over.
Walking off the Suncorp field, Chapman could have been forgiven for already thinking of her post-season trip to Bali. By then she had a hat-trick of tries, each more spectacular than the last. The first came in the second minute of the match after Kiwi Alexis Tauaneai dropped the ball. First tackle of the set, the Australians swept left, finding Chapman waiting in space. She stepped one, fended two, then shrugged off three to dot down.
Four tackles later the Jillaroos were back in the red zone. On the fifth they scored, Shaylee Bent running a sharp diagonal at speed to cross. But the main act returned when scrappy play gave Southwell the chance to take on the line and sling a pass infield. It hit the turf but Chapman swooped and surged. This time, she went to the air, launching like a gymnast off the springboard and spearing into the corner.
Three tries became four just minutes later. Again it started with Chapman, retrieving a kick and shirtfronting a defender. Southwell’s subsequent short ball to Jessica Sergis was forward but she sprinted 80m to score and the try was upheld. At 24-0, in the sweltering Suncorp, hydration breaks had been introduced. The Kiwis needed a jolt and coach Ricky Henry spiked the water by introducing livewire Ashleigh Quinlan.
It worked, former Jillaroo Shannon Mato barging over from a Quinlan short ball. But there was to be no comeback, only a counterpunch. Chapman snatched up another loose ball, carving through the infield and galloping 70m, leaving Kiwis eating her dust yet again. It was a sight that will haunt New Zealand’s women for four years. Even then, Chapman wasn’t done, vowing to “come back and give it to them again”.
Her teammates weren’t done either. Even before half-time arrived, they surged up the middle and as the black line buckled, Tarryn Aiken drew two and found Tamika Upton on the fly. She swung it to Abbi Church who wrongfooted the Kiwis by passing it straight back for the fullback to make it 34-6. That’s where the score remained for most of an error-riddled second half as both sides found themselves sapped by the Suncorp pressure cooker.
