New Zealand beat battling Spain with 13 players

Women's Rugby World Cup - Pool C

New Zealand (21) 54

Tries: Miller 2, Mikaele-Tu'u, Leti-I'iga 2, Ponsonby, Woodman-Wickliffe, Setefano Cons: Holmes 7

Spain (3) 8

Tries: Antolinez Pen: Argudo

Defending champions New Zealand started their quest for a record-extending seventh Women's Rugby World Cup pinch a 54-8 triumph complete Spain astatine York Community Stadium.

Seeking to show their credentials aft title rivals England and Canada compiled large wins successful their opening matches, nan Black Ferns only led 21-3 astatine half-time arsenic Spain produced a battling show that belied their world ranking of 13.

Overcoming their first-half rustiness, New Zealand ran successful 5 tries aft nan break, contempt having to play pinch 13 women for nan last 17 minutes.

Head coach Allan Bunting had already utilized each his replacements erstwhile Kaipo Olsen-Baker went disconnected connected a stretcher connected 55 minutes pursuing an wounded to her correct leg.

New Zealand were reduced to 13 erstwhile helping Ayesha Leti-I'iga besides had to spell disconnected because of injury.

The Black Ferns still managed to people a effort contempt their two-player disadvantage but they conceded successful nan last play of nan crippled arsenic Spain touched down for a people their efforts deserved.

Flanker Jorja Miller caught nan oculus successful nan first half, scoring 2 tries successful a dazzling 40-minute World Cup debut earlier being replaced.

The awesome Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who came retired of world status successful April successful a bid to triumph a 3rd successive World Cup, scored her 21st World Cup effort arsenic New Zealand stepped up a level successful nan 2nd half to spell apical of Pool C.

"We knew Spain were going to bring a batch of bosom and that's precisely what they did," said skipper Alana Bremner. "But we came together and we're conscionable really excited to footwear this run off.

"There was decidedly a batch of excitement retired location and immoderate of those passes weren't sticking truthful we'll look to cleanable that up, but successful nan first crippled we weren't expecting perfection.

"There was plentifulness of bosom shown erstwhile we went down to 13 players."

Miller, nan World Sevens subordinate of nan year, gave New Zealand nan lead successful nan 13th infinitesimal pinch a effort that demonstrated why she is tipped to beryllium a superstar of nan game.

The 21-year-old threw a dummy pass, stepped wrong 2 defenders and accelerated done what was near of Spain's defence.

The Olympic sevens golden medallist, who only played her first 15-a-side Test successful May, sewage her 2nd 3 minutes later, rubbing down connected nan right-hand broadside pursuing a fluent passing move.

Miller, sensing nan chance for a spectacular hat-trick, went disconnected connected different rampaging tally consecutive from nan restart but this clip Spain managed to bring her down.

She hit 11 defenders successful nan 40 minutes she played, nan astir of immoderate subordinate successful each 8 of nan matches connected nan opening play of nan World Cup.

Number 8 Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, who was besides outstanding, powered complete to bring up nan champions' 3rd effort but they past needed to take sides good to support nan Spanish broadside astatine bay.

Las Leonas, beaten 97-7 by England successful a warm-up match, deservedly sewage points connected nan committee pinch a punishment from Amalia Argudo and, roared connected by nan York crowd, continued to make life uncomfortable for nan Black Ferns.

Despite their wounded problems, nan 2nd half was a different communicative pinch near helping Leti-I'iga going complete for New Zealand's bonus-point 4th effort soon aft nan restart.

Replacement hooker Georgia Ponsonby motored complete from a maul and past Leti-l'iga utilized each her formidable spot to defy 2 tackles and touch down successful nan area for her 2nd try.

Down to 14, Woodman-Wickliffe, nan World Cup's all-time grounds try-scorer, ran a awesome statement to spell complete for her score, and past pinch only 13 players connected nan transportation centre Theresa Setefano collapsed done to people nether nan posts.

Spain did not springiness up and sewage their reward successful overtime pinch a effort from Ines Antolinez, which sparked jubilant scenes among nan exhausted Spanish players.

"We came to nan World Cup to springiness everything, to effort to animate nan girls successful Spain," said caput coach Juan Gonzalez.

"We suffered a batch successful defence. The Black Ferns are really big. We person immoderate mistakes to activity connected but we person assurance to look nan Ireland crippled pinch passion."

New Zealand return connected Japan successful their 2nd Pool C lucifer successful Exeter adjacent Sunday, while Spain look Ireland connected nan aforesaid time successful Northampton.

The Black Ferns' lucifer against Ireland connected 7 September is expected to find who wins nan pool.

New Zealand: Holmes; Sorensen-McGee, Du Plessis, Setefano, Leti-I'iga; Brazier, Hohaia; Tangen-Wainohu, Green, Rule, A Bremner (capt), C Bremner, Sae, Miller, Mikaele-Tu'u

Replacements: Ponsonby, Viliko, Kalounivale, Bayfield, Olsen-Baker, Pouri-Lane, Demant, Woodman

Spain: Ducher; Bueriberi, Pena, Perez, Piquero; Argudo, Fernandez de Corres; Delgado (capt), Blanco, Bracic, Castelo, Alameda, Martinez, Garcia, Capell

Replacements: Jou, Antolinez, De Andres, Puig, Pineiro, Aresti, Vinuesa, Perez

Referee: Ella Goldsmith (Australia)

Assistant referees: Kat Roche (USA) and Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wales)

Television lucifer official: Quinton Immelman (South Africa)