AUCKLAND (Reuters) -France flyhalf Caroline Drouin missed a last-gasp penalty as defending champions New Zealand claimed a 25-24 classic at Eden Park on Saturday and set up a blockbuster women’s Rugby World Cup final against England.
With a shot awarded in front after prop Santo Taumata was yellow-carded for a high tackle, Drouin shanked her last-minute kick left as the Black Ferns made a great escape in front of a roaring crowd.
Down 17-10 at halftime, the hosts charged into the lead through tries to Ruby Tui and Theresa Fitzpatrick and were well placed as France went a woman down with a yellow card for loose forward Safi N’Diaye for another high tackle in the 70th minute.
Number eight Romane Menager scored a brace of tries in a powerhouse display, pulling the French within a point with 14 minutes left.
But Drouin’s late miss sealed their fate.
France inside centre Gabrielle Vernier declined to blame Drouin, saying the team could have won earlier.
“We are so proud of us today,” she said.
“We should have been better all the game, we should have been better in defence.”
New Zealand, winners of five of the last six World Cups, meet England in a repeat of the last final in 2017.
England held off a spirited Canada 26-19 in the earlier semi-final at Eden Park.
“It was an unbelievable ending, really,” New Zealand coach Wayne Smith said.
“I thought it was gone, but it wasn’t gone. It’s there and we’ve got a chance next week.”
France have never made it to a World Cup decider and will rue a semi-final that got away from them after they did the hard work early.
New Zealand saw off a fierce, 17-phase assault on their try-line in the opening minutes but the pressure finally told as Menager crashed over at the left post in the 23rd minute.
The French defence was brutal and Vernier was lucky not to draw a card after lifting winger Tui in a punishing tackle.
France finally conceded after Drouin kicked the ball out on the full after the half-hour mark, giving New Zealand a scrum in front of the posts.
Flyhalf Ruahei Demant flung the ball wide to Stacey Fluhler who streamed over near the left corner to fire up the crowd.
Fullback Renee Holmes’s conversion levelled the match at 10-10 but the French came again, with Vernier bursting over by the left post on the stroke of halftime.
FRENCH AGONY
The match went up a notch as Holmes sent the French defence scrambling with a deft chip forward four minutes after the re-start.
A human lightning bolt, Tui won a sprint against Emilie Boulard, toed the ball out of the fullback’s grasp and chased it down for a try just before the dead-ball line.
Though Holmes missed the conversion and a long-range penalty a few minutes later, the Black Ferns’ running game was now in top gear as the French wearied.
Lock Maiakawanakaulani Roos carried the hosts to two metres from their posts and Fitzpatrick barged over to snatch the lead for New Zealand near the hour-mark.
Demant slotted the conversion and a penalty to stretch the lead to eight points but Menager set up a grandstand finish as she pounded through a nest of Black Ferns for her second try.
Further drama was to come as Taumata crashed into hooker Agathe Sochat, the high tackle, spotted by the television match official, directly in front of the posts.
From about 30 metres out, Drouin’s shot went well wide, leaving France in agony as Black Ferns scrumhalf Kendra Cocksedge booted the ball out and home fans rejoiced.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
