New Zealand overwhelmed China (43-5) and Canada (33-7). New Zealand had lost to Canada in their previous meeting in Madrid and when Charity Williams cast aside Tyler King and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, there might have been a smidgen of anxiety at 7-7.
Instead, Woodman-Wickliffe took control of proceedings snatching the kick-off and cannoning through several tacklers. The ball was transferred right, and Risi Pouri-Lane dragged a defender with her over the line.
It was then Miller time. Jorja Miiler stepped twice off the right foot to score her second try and make it 19-7 at the interval.
Canada enjoyed most of the second-half possession but wasn’t threatening. Jazmin Flex-Hotham was tigerish on defense and when she collected a stationary ball on the ground and twisted around the outside of her dazed opponent, it was curtains for Canada at 26-7. With her 16th Olympic try, Woodman-Wickliffe had the last say.
Canada had opened their campaign with a 17-14 win over Fiji
New Zealand opened their campaign with a 43-7 win over China, the biggest win by any country in the opening session. Michaela Blyde became the third woman – and second at Paris 2024 – to score four tries in an Olympic match after Maddison Levi in Australia’s opener against South Africa (34-5) and Fiji’s Reapi Ulunisau against Brazil at Tokyo 2020.
Blyde has scored 11 Olympic tries and has already made a big impression in Paris. A picture Blyde shared on social media with three-time Olympic sprint champion Shelly-Ann Frace Pryce went viral. Blyde was seen running after the Jamaican superstar for the shot.
Sarah Hirini was touch and go for the Olympics after suffering an ACL injury in the opening round of the SVNS 2024 series in Dubai in December. Hirini marked her return with a try. Stacey Waaka dotted down in each half.
Forty-three points is the second-highest tally that New Zealand have posted in an opening match at an Olympic Games, behind only the 52 scored in their opener against Kenya at Rio 2016.
Australia defeated Great Britain 36-5 in their second Pool B match with Levi scoring a hat-trick.
Hosts France didn’t concede a point in their opening two victories against Brazil (26-0) and Japan (49-0). Iän Jason scored three tries and has 26 in 33 matches on the SVNS series. Caroline Drouin kicked nine conversions across the two games. Joanna Grisez (71 tries in 110 SVNS matches) and Anne-Cecile Ciofani (75 tries in 113 SVNS matches) are other dangerous threats for France.
The biggest surprise was the lowest seed China smashing 2021 bronze medallists Fiji by 40-12. China had six different try scorers in arguably the biggest win in their history. It should be noted that three of China’s four all-time SVNS wins against Fiji have come across their past five meetings. They won just one of their first eight games between the 2012-13 and 2019 series. China had never scored more than 19 points in a game against Fiji, with all four victories coming with a winning scoreline of 17 points or less.
New Zealand plays Fiji at in their final group match at 2:30 am.