AUSTRALIA secured top spot in Group ‘B’ of the Women’s Rugby League World Cup after a nervy 10-8 victory over New Zealand at the LNER Community Stadium.

In the end, a sitter of a missed conversion by Brianna Clark was all that separated the sides, having exchanged two tries apiece.

Despite having played in every World Cup final, New Zealand were the rank 10/1 outsiders against the mighty twice defending champions Australia, the overwhelming pre-tournament favourites.

Such viewpoints may well now have drastically changed heading into Monday night’s semi-finals at the Community Stadium, which sees Australia face Papua New Guinea (5pm) and England take on New Zealand (7.30pm).

Having blown away Cook Islands 74-0 and France 92-0 in a record World Cup victory, both at the LNER, Australia were a far different proposition when matched with the physical size of the Ferns pack.

More tellingly, 16 errors from the Jillaroos compared to the Ferns’ seven reflected their struggles with ball in hand and saw them come within a whisker of a first defeat since 2016.

New Zealand battled hard from first minute to last, particularly so through the first quarter, defending numerous set-restarts on their own line.

Captain Ali Brigginshaw saw a try ruled out for a knock on before the deadlock was finally broken on 20 minutes. Tarryn Aiken showed great strength at the line to muscle over, with Brigginshaw converting.

Australia were denied a second score six minutes later when New Zealand put Isabelle Kelly over the sideline in the corner.

The Ferns’ livewire half-back Raecene McGregor had earlier struggled with her short kicking but a grubber at the half-hour mark was on the money, Apii Nicholls grounding the bouncing ball.

As would later prove decisive, Clark somehow struck the post with the conversion from bang in front.

New Zealand produced more sensational defence to hold up Julia Robinson from Sammy Bremner’s cut-out pass.

Remarkably, the Ferns then took the lead for the first time, profiting from one of the numerous Australia errors.

Bremner lost the ball at the kick return on halfway before Mele Hufanga broke to within 10. Throwing it wide a couple of plays later, Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly capitalised on the overlap.

Clark was again off target, missing the tricky touchline conversion.

That lead lasted just six minutes though. An Aiken grubber hit a goal-line defender to win a repeat set. From there, Jessica Sergis’ sublime pass on the turn gave Robinson a walk-in. Lauren Brown was off target from the touchline.

Australia pushed on and on but were repeatedly met by some sensational goal-line defence. Shaylee Bent was somehow stopped from Aiken’s short-ball in the pick of their backline efforts.

New Zealand conjured one last-minute chance. A captain’s challenge win put them in the Australia 10 but player-of-the-match Amber Hall was denied, along with the Ferns’ last hopes of producing an almighty upset.

Earlier in the evening, Cook Islands defeated France 26-18, to pick up their first win of the tournament, with the latter finishing bottom of the group.

Australia: Bremner, Robinson, Sergis, Kelly, Chapman, Aiken, Brigginshaw, Mato, Davis, Johnston, Apps, Clydsdale, Taufa.

Subs (all used): Cherrington, Bent, Brown, Tonegato.

Tries: Aiken (20’), Robinson (61’)

Goals: Brigginshaw (1/1), Brown (0/1)

New Zealand: Nicholls, Stephens-Daly, Hufanga, P. McGregor, Vaha’akolo, Roache, R. McGregor, Clark, Rota, Nu’uausala, Murdoch-Masila, Hall, Hale.

Subs (all used): Maynard, Hill-Moana, Pule, Stowers.

Tries: Nicholls (30’), Stephens-Daly (55’)

Goals: Clark (0/2)

Penalties/Six-agains: 8-8

Errors: 16-7

Goal-line drop-outs: 1-1