The Black Ferns have thumped France 81-12 in the opening test of their three-match series in Hamilton, with wing Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a scoring four tries.
By Joe Porter of RNZ
The hosts scored 13 tries to France's two at FMG Stadium, and it only took a minute for the Black Ferns to open their account with the halfback Maia Joseph finishing a nice piece of play to put the hosts ahead 5-0.
Joseph then bagged her second try, diving over after the New Zealand forwards won a tighthead from a French scrum.
The conversion from fullback Braxton Sorensen-McGee was unsuccessful with the Black Ferns ahead 10-0 after ten minutes.
France finally started to get their hands on some ball but couldn't hold onto possession with the Black Ferns winger Ayesha Leti-I'iga the next to score for the hosts.
Sorensen-McGee nailed the extras to extend the Black Ferns' lead to 17-0 with 20 minutes gone.
Amy Du'Plessis had made a strong start to the game and she was rewarded with a try of her own to push the Black Ferns further ahead. The conversion was successful to give New Zealand a 24-0 lead.
Du'Plessis soon had a brace of tries after a great kick chase by Leti-I'iga and it was beginning to look rather one-sided in Hamilton.
Sorensen-McGee kicked the conversion to put the Black Ferns ahead 31-0.
France, who were without several first-choice players, were struggling to win their own set piece and it was making things hard for the visitors.
The Black Ferns loose forward Kaipo Olsen-Baker scored next, storming over for her first try and the conversion was good to extend the Black Ferns' lead to 38-0.
Captain Georgia Ponsonby scored the Black Ferns' seventh try of the first half on the stroke of halftime to give the home side a 43-0 lead at the break.
The second half continued in the same vein with Leti-I'iga capitalising on a French mistake to grab her second try of the match to make it 48-0 to the hosts.
Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a was the next to get her name on the scoresheet with the winger scoring her first try of the game.
Sorensen-McGee missed the conversion with the score 53-0 to the hosts.
It wasn't long until Tuliau-Tua'a had her second try with the wing helping the Black Ferns push their lead out to 60-0.
France finally got on the scoreboard through a try to wing Léa Murie, but the Black Ferns hit back with a try to replacement back Ruahei Demant to make it 67-5 before Tuliau-Tua'a completed her hat-trick to push the home side further in front.
The New Zealand wing would snare her fourth try soon after as the hosts continued to run riot on a sunny afternoon in Hamilton, before France hit back with their second try.
The final score 81-12 to the Black Ferns, who take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, which continues next week in Whangārei.
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