Pack power earns semifinal spot for Black Ferns

Ruthless forward play enabled New Zealand to overpower Australia 36-3 and rumble into the semifinals of the women's World Cup at Cornella, Barcelona, yesterday.

They will meet France tomorrow.

The French, who beat England in the women's Six Nations this year, upset the second-seeded United States 21-9 yesterday.

England, unconvincing 13-5 winners over Spain, will play Canada in the other semifinal.

The Canadians beat Scotland 11-0 in the other match yesterday. The Black Ferns' pack crushed the Australian scrum, dominated the lineouts and mauled commandingly in a display more one-sided than the final score indicated.

New Zealand spent most of the match camped in Australian territory - mostly inside the 22 - but some tenacious Australian tackling, aided by moments of over-eagerness from the attackers, restricted the Black Ferns to five tries.

With Black Ferns props Regina Sheck and Rebecca Luia'ana in crunching form, the New Zealanders easily dealt with the Australians' opening thrusts and then turned up the heat in the scrum.

Sheck, Luia'ana and hooker and captain Farah Palmer, celebrating her 20th test, were also to the fore in the mauls, twice driving 30m upfield and forcing the Australians to concede a series of penalties.

New Zealand's line-out jumpers Victoria Heighway and Monalisa Codling took all their own throws and four of Australia's. New Zealand coach Darryl Suasua said that concentrating over the summer on the front row's workrate and mobility had paid off.

The Australian backs tackled strongly but it took just six minutes for New Zealand to hit the lead when they worked the blindside and wing Dianne Kahura had an easy run to score from 20m following a quick switch of direction.

Fullback Tammi Wilson kicked three penalties and New Zealand led 14-0 at halftime. They extended the lead in the 49th minute when No 8 Rochelle Martin raced around the front of a lineout to score.

Australian first five-eighth Tui Ormsby kicked a penalty after a rare attack into the New Zealand half.

Prop Rebecca Luia'ana scored her first try for the Black Ferns after showing excellent speed, and two minutes later, replacement prop Helen Vaaga produced the individual highlight of the match.

Proving her amazing debut performance against Germany last week was no flash-in-the-pan, Vaaga peeled off a maul and raced 30m to score, bumping off four defenders on the way.

The New Zealanders finished with a penalty try, awarded after the Australians collapsed a certain push-over in the 78th minute.

"There are a few things that we need to work on - our individual patience particularly. But I'm pretty happy with where we are at," Suasua said.

- NZPA