Auckland Storm kick clear to win 16th Women’s NPC title

Above: Wellingtons Joanah Ngan-Woo and Auckland's Eloise Blackwell contest a lineout in their Women's NPC final. PHOTO BY DAVE LINTOTT.

The Auckland Storm are the 2015 Women’s NPC champions, beating the Wellington Pride 39-9 in this afternoon’s final at McLean Park in Napier.

The Auckland Storm won their 16th straight WNPC title with a runaway seven tries to nil win, centre Theresa Fitzpatrick scoring a hat-trick and left wing Mele Hufanga scoring one to set a men’s and women’s NPC record of 16 tries in the season.

With several powerful ball runners in the forwards and a dangerous outside backs contingent, Auckland deserved their win but they were pushed hard for long periods by the Wellington Pride and the 30-point winning margin belied a closer contest.

As they have done all season, the Pride got stuck in at the set-piece exchanges, disrupted Auckland at the breakdowns and strung several strong passages of play that stretched Auckland.

Auckland led 10-6 at halftime, and when Wellington first five-eighth Lizzie Goulden kicked her third penalty early in the second half to close the gap to 10-9 Auckland were under pressure.

The Storm responded by lifting their intensity, Hufanga’s try increasing their lead to 15-9, and from there they ran in four further tries including two at the very end of the match to Fitzpatrick. 

Hufanga’s try that brought her season tally to 16 eclipsed the men’s single season record of 15 jointly held by Terry Wright for Auckland in 1984 and Brendon Laney for Otago in 1998. Auckland also set a new Women’s NPC single season team record of 68 tries.

Auckland’s best players in the final were lock Eloise Blackwell, strong in the lineouts and around the field, hooker and captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili and blindside flanker Charmaine McMenamin in the forwards and fullback Kiritapu Demant, centre Fitzpatrick and wing Hufanga in the backs.

For the Pride, flankers Aimee Sutorious and Caroline Sio, lock Joanah Ngan-Woo, prop Noeleen Nonu and inside backs Goulden and Sauimoana Solia all played well.

The Storm scored the game’s opening try from their opening foray inside the Pride’s 22, their forwards driving from a lineout and the backs ripping the ball wide to fullback Demant to cross for the first try.

Auckland pressed for further opportunities, but some forced passes and scrambling defence kept them out.

Wellington worked themselves into the game with some promising phase play. This led to a penalty chance for first five-eighth Lizzie Goulden to kick to make it 5-3 early in the second quarter.

The Pride pushed Auckland off their own scrum ball and kicked ahead. But Auckland launched a counterattack and halfback Emma Jensen kicked a grubber into the corner to force a defensive lineout.

Gouldem cleared from the exit play, but Auckland’s backs ran the ball back from 40 metres out. The competition’s top try scorer, Mele Hufanga, pushed off two defenders in broken play and linked up with centre Theresa Fitzpatrick who scored her first try of the match in the right hand corner to put Auckland ahead 10-3.

The Pride launched an impressive 15 metre lineout drive, but the movement died with a knock-on. The Pride won a clean tighthead from the next scrum and then won a second penalty for Goulden. But the outside half pushed her kick wide.

The Pride ran back Auckland’s 22 re-start, fullback Vaine Marsters going close to breaking through to score a try. Referee Rebecca Mahoney awarded the Pride another penalty and Goulden kicked the penalty on halftime to close the gap to 10-6 at turnaround.

The second half started at a fast clip, both sides breaking tackles. No. 8 Jackie Patea burst through a ruck and ran 20 metres up the field.

Auckland gave away their ninth penalty of the match at the next breakdown. With a breeze at her back, Goulden kicked her third penalty to close the gap to 10-9.

Auckland struck back through left wing Mele Hufanga, running in to score untouched in the corner after lock Eloise Blackwell burst through the middle of a lineout up towards the chalk. Auckland now led 15-9 with just over 25 minutes to play.

Now with their tails up, Auckland rushed up inside the Pride’s 22 with a strong period of direct phase play and after a sustained build-up lock Blackwell crossed in a melee of bodies over the line and after a long deliberation by the TMO the try was awarded.

Auckland now led 20-9 heading into the fourth and final quarter of the season.

Auckland openside flanker Lydia Crossman ran on to a pop pass and set up their fifth try to halfback Emma Jensen. First five-eighth Ruahei Demant kicked her first conversion of the day, extending the lead to 27-9.

Maintaining the pressure, Auckland ran their sixth and seventh tries of the afternoon, centre Fitzpatrick crossing for both tries to make the final score 39-9.

Auckland Storm 39 (Kiritapu Demant, Theresa Fitzpatrick 3, Mele Hufanga, Eloise Blackwell, Emma Jensen tries; Ruahei Demant 2 con) beat the Wellington Pride 9 (Lizzie Goulden 3 pen). HT: 10-6. 

The scoring action (by minute):
6th: Kiritapu Demant try. Auckland 5-0
23rd: Lizzie Goulden penalty. Auckland 5-3
27th: Theresa Fitzpatrick try. Auckland 10-3
40th: Lizzie Goulden penalty. Auckland 10-6
44th: Lizzie Goulden penalty. Auckland 10-9
54th: Mele Hufanga try. Auckland 15-9
58th: Eloise Blackwell try. Auckland 20-9
64th: Emma Jensen try. Auckland 25-9
65th: Ruahei Demant conversion. Auckland. 27-9
75th: Theresa Fitzpatrick try. Auckland 32-9
76th: Theresa Fitzpatrick try. Auckland 37-9
80th Ruahei Demant conversion. Auckland 39-9