The Black Ferns have taken a 41-17 victory over the Wallaroos at Eden Park.
The scoreline doesn't reflect just how good the Wallaroos were to start the game, stunning the defending champions early.
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A double to Bienne Terita helped them raise out to a 17-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
However, the hosts rallied to get themselves back in the game before half-time.
Yellow cards to Shannon Parry and Ivania Wong opened it up for the Kiwis as they raced away with the bonus point win.
The Wallaroos started the game on fire as they dominated the first quarter, instantly lifted by the injection of Sharni Williams.
Williams took the ball over the advantage on countless times as they took the game to an error-prone New Zealand outfit.
After building considerable pressure inside the 22, Sevens star Bienne Terita continued her red-hot form against the Black Ferns, beating her opposite number to dive over the corner.
With the hosts stunned, a loose ball provided the perfect opportunity for their second as Ivania Wong ran 60 metres to score untouched.
Terita continued the dream start for the visitors, bursting back Sevens legend Portia Woodman to take a 17-0 lead after 25 minutes.
The hosts were never going to be out of the contest as Joanah Ngan-Woo started the comeback as she barged over the line
Woodman got one back of her own four minutes later to reduce the margin to 17-12 heading into the break.
With all the momentum, the Kiwis continued their march as Woodman crossed for a double to tie it up.
As the game remained in the balance, the night went from bad to worse for the Wallaroos in a matter of moments.
Ivania Wong drew the ire of the referee for a cynical foul, receiving a yellow card whilst the TMO picked up a high tackle from Shannon Parry in the build-up, joining her Queensland teammate off the field.
Down to 13, the Wallaroos stood little chance to stop a rampaging Black Ferns outfit as replacement prop Awhina Tangen-Wainohu dived over the line.
Shortly after, Woodman completed her hat trick to put the game out of reach.
Player of the match Ruby Tui continued the second-half surge with two tries of her own late in the game to seal the bonus-point victory.
“We had a focus coming into the game of trying to improve our set-piece and winning the collision battle and we did that, putting the pressure back on the Black Ferns,” coach Jay Tregonning said after the match.
“Our gamelan was putting the pressure back on them and that was the gameplan was to keep on piling it on and they made some uncharacteristic errors that gave us the weight of possession and territory
“As the game went on, we didn’t win the race to our attacking breakdown, they got the flow of the game and the possession and showed the formidable team they are.”
BLACK FERNS 41
TRIES: Ngan-Woo, Woodman 3, Tangen-Wainohu, Tui 2
CONS: Cocksedge 1/1, Holmes 2/4, Tubic 0/2
WALLAROOS 17
TRIES: Terita 2, Wong
CONS: McKenzie 1/3
PENS: McKenzie 0/1
BLACK FERNS (15-1): Renee Holmes, Ruby Tui, Stacey Fluhler, Amy du Plessis, Portia Woodman, Ruahei Demant (c), Kendra Cocksedge, Liana Mikaeale-Tu'u, Sarah Hirini, Charmaine McMenamin, Chelsea Bremner, Joanah Ngan-Woo, Amy Rule, Luka Connor, Philipa Love
RESERVES: Georgia Ponsonby, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, Santo Taumata, Maia Roos, Kendra Reynolds, Arihiana Marino-Tauhinu, Hazel Tubic, Sylvia Brunt
WALLAROOS (15-1): Pauline Piliae-Rasabale, Bienne Terita, Georgina Friedrichs, Sharni Williams, Ivania Wong, Arabella McKenzie, Iliseva Batibasaga, Grace Hamilton, Shannon Parry, Emily Chancellor, Atasi Lafai, Sera Naiqama, Bridie O'Gorman, Adiana Talakai, Liz Patu
RESERVES: Ashley Marsters, Emily Robinson, Eva Karpani, Michaela Leonard, Grace Kemp, Layne Morgan, Trileen Pomare, Lori Cramer
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
Assistant Referee 1: Kat Roche (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Doriane Domenjo (FFR)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
