They've done it! Black Ferns hold on in thrilling World Cup final victory

Utter chaos at Eden Park – the Black Ferns have won the World Cup with a 34-31 victory over England in a heart-stopping match which went down to the final seconds.

England, with a series of lineouts on New Zealand’s line, had to merely win a final set piece and set up what probably would have been an irresistible driving maul, but, against the odds, the Black Ferns won it, sealing the victory and sparking emotional celebrations.

The Red Roses had already scored four of their five tries via lineout mauls, with hooker Amy Cokayne scoring three of them, but the Black Ferns stole it at the death – just as they did in their nerve-shredding semifinal win over France.

In a fitting last match in what was a thrilling finals series over the past two weekends, the Black Ferns had a one-player advantage for three quarters of the match after England wing Lydia Thompson was red carded for a high tackle – head-on-head – on opposite Portia Woodman.

Woodman, clearly concussed, was replaced by Ayesha Leti-I’iga, who scored two tries and was one of the Black Ferns’ stars.

The Black Ferns had card drama of their own; loose forward replacement Kennedy Simon yellow carded for a high tackle in the 65th minute.

In winning their sixth World Cup in the last seven times of trying, the Black Ferns have halted England’s world-record winning streak at 30 and have drawn a line under the lows of last year when they lost twice to their traditional foe.

With first-five Ruahei Demant and flanker Sarah Hirini again influential as the game entered its final thrilling stages, the Black Ferns hit the lead in the final seven minutes via Leti-I’iga’s try from centre Stacey Fluhler’s incredible pass off the floor within touching distance of the tryline.

In trouble early against a dominant England pack, the Black Ferns had hit the lead in the first time after 49 minutes when replacement prop Krystal Murray went on an irresistible charge through halfback Lucy Packer.

Down 26-19 at halftime, the Black Ferns appeared rejuvenated after the break and got within touching distance from the re-start through Fluhler’s try.

In one of the tries of the tournament, Fluhler featured twice after initially bamboozling centre Emily Scarratt. Fullback Renee Holmes gave final pass.

That New Zealand had to battle so hard to break England was a credit to their defence. They faced the haka by fanning across the field – a different response which perhaps was supposed to foreshadow their defensive wall.

Thompson’s red card effectively meant the game’s battle lines were even further entrenched. The Black Ferns had to double down on their attacking intent as England were always short defensively.

It also meant England had to play to their own strengths; the four tries from lineout drives indicated what that was, but the Black Ferns scored two first-half tries via their own maul.

Played out on a warm early summer’s night in Auckland in what was occasionally a frenzied atmosphere – light years away from the stunned silence of the men’s World Cup final here in 2011 – England stamped their dominance early with fullback Ellie Kildunne scoring outside Woodman after only three minutes.

A Woodman breakout ably supported by Sarah Hirini was a positive, but it got worse when Cokayne went over for her first try – no surprises how.

The red card changed the early momentum, however, with hooker Georgia Ponsonby crashing over for a converted try, but a Maia Roos mistake from the re-start handed the ball back to England via an attacking lineout and flanker Marlie Packer did the rest behind her pack.

The re-start blues were catching, the Black Ferns winning a penalty after an England knock on compounded by an offside, a New Zealand driving maul creating even more space out wide for Leti-I’iga for a try near the left touchline brilliantly converted by Renee Holmes.

At 19-14, the Black Ferns were very much in it and another disruption for England as lock Zoe Aldcroft went off with a head injury pushed the dial further the hosts way as Homes scampered off after an intercept for what she thought was a 70m try called back by referee Hollie Davidson for an earlier infringement.

From the resulting lineout, another Cokayne driving maul try. The Black Ferns had the final say in the half, though, with another of their own via prop Amy Rule.

England appeared rattled early in the second half, with the Black Ferns attacking with energy from the kick-off, and the absence of Red Roses’ skipper and No.8 Sarah Hunter (playing her 140th Test) after halftime was perhaps an indication they needed to lift their intensity.

They eventually responded, but so did the Black Ferns.

Black Ferns 34 (Ayesha Leti-I’iga 2, Georgia Ponsonby, Amy Rule, Stacey Fluhler, Krystal Murray tries; Renee Holmes 2 cons)

England 31 (Amy Cokayne 3, Ellie Kildunne, Marlie Packer tries; Emily Scarratt 3 cons)