Player comparisons: Black Ferns take bronze at Twickenham

New Zealand secured third place at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup with a 41 – 26  victory over France at Allianz Stadium Twickenham

Starting brightly, Les Bleus took the lead in the ninth minute through Pauline Bourdon Sansus, following a set scintillating run of interplay by the French back three.

This score sparked the Black Ferns to life. Pinning France back with an array of kick options led by Renee Holmes, the Kiwis set up camp in the French twenty-two.

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

Initially repelling the pressure, Les Bleus won a superb turnover on their line and cleared their lines. This resistance would be short-lived, however. Putting intense pressure on the French line-out, the Black Ferns forced a knock-on. From the ensuing scrum, a well-worked set play saw Sylvia Brunt put Ruahei Demant through for her side’s first try.

Once back on level terms, the floodgates opened for the Black Ferns, who scored three more tries in the first half through Brunt, Renee Holmes and Laura Bayfield.

Starting the second half how they ended the first, the Black Ferns struck early through Braxton Sorensen-McGee. Thirteen minutes later, the winger would go over again to take her side into a seemingly unassailable 39 – 7 lead.

Seemingly down and out, Les Bleus could’ve been forgiven for winding down the clock. Instead, they went on the offensive, running the ball from all corners of the pitch. This endeavour led to three quick-fire tries to give them a pulse heading into the final ten minutes.

Calming matters down with time winding down, Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes slotted a late penalty, much to the dismay of the fans in the stands, to secure the win.

Here is how the two sides fared at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

Front Row – Advantage New Zealand 
Depending on one’s persuasion, this head-to-head could be viewed in two vastly different lights.

On one side, the French held a slight superiority at scrum time kept their side in the fight and nullified New Zealand’s ability to operate their clinical set play game.

Conversely, the Black Ferns’ front row showed a touch more around the park and were noticeably quicker to get back into the line from set-piece.

On the whole, the Black Ferns starting trio of Chryss Viliko, Georgia Ponsonby, and Tanya Kalounivale laid the platform with their carrying into the teeth of the French defence with over 20 carries between them.

At the breakdown, in conjunction with their locks, the front row were exceptional in thgeir ability to get around their park and limit Les Bleus’ opportunities to win turnovers.

Second Row – Advantage New Zealand
Industrious with a sprinkling of magic, New Zealand’s lock pairing of Maiakawanakaulani Roos and Laura Bayfield all but nullified the threat of their French rivals.

Topping the tackle charts with 23, Bayfield was a black shadow that ominously followed every French ball carrier. With the ball in hand, she was highly effective, making 40 meters from five carries, scoring a try, having run a perfect support line of Jorja Miller.

Whilst not quite as eye-popping on the stat sheet as her starting partner, Roos got through a ton of work around the breakdown. Cleaning out potential French poachers, time and again, Roos’s efforts went a long way towards the Black Ferns’ ability to get into a fluid attacking groove.

Back Row – Advantage New Zealand
Laying the platform for an explosive attacking display, the Black Ferns backrow were immense from the off.

Picking up where she left off in the semifinal, Kaipo Olsen-Baker burst through the French defence seemingly at will. More often than not, carrying into heavy traffic, the number eight’s ability to get her hands free in contact was crucial to her side’s multiphase attack.

In the wide channels, Jorja Miller was a mismatch for the French back three defenders. Occupying multiple defenders with each carry, Miller played a key role in the build-up to multiple Black Ferns’ tries. Adding to her highlight reel in the build-up to Bayfield’s try, the flanker stepped two French defenders before offloading to her lock in support.

Defensively, Miller was on another level. Completing a pair of textbook turnovers in the 8th and 41st minute to stop two promising French attacks dead saved her side from facing numbers mismatches out wide.

Doing their part, Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and replacement Layla Sae did plenty of grunt work, most notably at set-piece time.

Halfbacks – Advantage France
It was firmly a game of inches for Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Carla Arbez, who, between them, saw a handful of try-scoring opportunities go begging.

Either setting up the play or running the right support line, the pair came within fingertips of these scores sticking. Failing to correct errors by those around them, the pair will be left thinking ‘what if’.

These moments aside, the pair continually threatened the Black Ferns with ball in hand, even when their pack was losing the battle at the gainline.

Centres – Advantage New Zealand
Complimenting each other, the pairing of Sylvia Brunt and Stacey Waaka was a key cog for New Zealand on both sides of the ball.

Defensively, Brunt put in a strong showing with nine tackles and a turnover. In attack, her power game was utilised on a handful of occasions, both as a carrying option and a decoy. Most notably in the 14^th minute when she found Ruahei Demant on her inside shoulder for the Black Ferns’ first try.

In the 13 channel, Waaka’s ability to pressure the French inside backs limited their ability to get wide for the bulk of the opening 60 minutes. Timing her shots perfectly, amongst her 15 tackles, Waaka often caught French players behind the gainline. With the ball in hand, her best work was done as a distributor, with her well-timed pass putting Braxton Sorensen-McGee over for her second try in the 59th minute. Still, her 51 meters made from eight carries proved how much of a handful she proved to be when given the opportunity.

Back Three – Advantage New Zealand
Playing to the old adage of the forwards win matches, but the backs decide by how much. The Black Ferns back three were at times unplayable for Les Blues.

Pulling the strings as a key distributor, Renee Holmes’ ability to enter the line at both first and second distributor continually changed the picture for the French defence. This ability to time when she joined the line was instrumental in two of the Black Ferns’ first-half tries.

When clearing their lines, Holmes was generally the first choice option and found grass in between the French backfield cover. Ensuring her side kept the scoreboard ticking over, Holmes was pinpoint from the tee with just a pair of touchline misses denying her a clean sheet.

Getting her just rewards, Holmes scored a try in the 37th minute that took her side two scores clear, and with it appeared to free up the Black Ferns to play their game.

Mirroring their fullback, the pairing of Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Braxton Sorensen-McGee hassled the French backfield with their relentless kick chase throughout the first half.

Catching Charlotte Escudero with a huge hit in the first half was an example of the clamps Woodman-Wickliffe put on any French attacker that game her way. Equally effective with the ball in hand, the winger was her side’s top carrier with 12.

On the right wing, teenage sensation Sorensen-McGee netted yet another test try in the 46^th minute. Thirteen minutes later, and Sorensen-McGee would be diving over the line whilst evading the attentions of two defenders.

These two moments added the final touches to what was a hugely impressive campaign for one of the brightest prospects in the sport.