England snatch last-gasp win over New Zealand's Black Ferns
Zoe Harrison scored a try in the 81st minute as England beat New Zealand 26-19 in the WXV Global Series, avoiding a second straight draw.
England's women's rugby team scored a dramatic late try to beat New Zealand 26-19 in a WXV Global Series match at Allianz Stadium, watched by a crowd of 59,871.
With the score tied at 19-19 in the 81st minute, and having just missed a penalty kick, fly-half Zoe Harrison intercepted a Black Ferns pass during a New Zealand counter-attack and dived over for the match-winning try, sparking wild celebrations among her team-mates.
The defeat was the first for world champions New Zealand under new head coach Whitney Hansen. The Black Ferns had ended a record 39-match unbeaten run the previous weekend with a 26-26 draw against Canada.
New Zealand dominated the first half, taking the lead through tries from Amy du Plessis and Ayesha Leti-I'iga after an earlier score by Claudia Moloney-MacDonald was disallowed. England hit back in the second half with tries from Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach, but Mererangi Paul's converted try levelled the scores at 70 minutes before Harrison's late intervention settled the contest.
New Zealand remain the only side to have beaten England in a World Cup final, having won all five finals meetings between the two teams, most recently in 2022. England next travel to Canada to complete a three-Test series against last year's World Cup finalists, while New Zealand face France in Hamilton.
Under Hansen, who took charge after New Zealand's disappointing World Cup campaign, the Black Ferns had been unbeaten this year, including wins over Canada and France, before Saturday's loss.
