BLACK FERNS 14-0 FRANCE
FULLTIME - The try is not awarded and the game is over. The Black Ferns win 14-0 in Toulon. What a match that was.
80mins - Nassira Konde claims she has scored a try at the death.
79mins - France will have one last chance to score a try. They have the ball five out from the line.
78mins - The Blacks Ferns are close to the line again. They could have their third here, but a penalty means France have the ball back.
75mins - France kick to the in-goal, but the Black Ferns win the race to the ball.
73mins - France close to the line, but another mistake lets the Black Ferns off the hook.
71mins - Only ten minutes left in Toulon. France have the ball and need to score.
69mins - France hot on the attack and they blow a golden chance to score. The last pass to captain Gaelle Hermet goes to ground.
69mins - Time is off as they're looking at the hit from Itunu. It is fine and play resumes. Black Ferns have a lineout.
68mins - There is a massive hit from Linda Itunu and the Black Ferns and get the ball back and go on the attack.
67mins - France back with the ball and they're on the edge of NZ's 22.
66mins - France finally have some good ball. They have another penalty, and they kick for touch but the ball doesn't go out.
64mins - They're inside the 22, can they score here? The answer no, as France turn the ball over at the breakdown.
63mins - Scrum time for New Zealand inside France's half.
62mins - Black Ferns have the ball back. It has been all New Zealand in this second half.
60mins - Time is off as Cyrielle Banet is down injured. It looks like it will be a 22m drop-out when play resumes.
59mins - Kendra Cocksedge converts from the corner and the Black Ferns now lead 14-0.
58mins - TRY BLACK FERNS - Renee Wickliffe goes over and the Black Ferns have their second. They are starting to dominate this game. They spread the ball wide and the winger is unmarked and dives over in the corner.
57mins - France finally get their hands on the ball, but Pauline Bourdon kicks the ball out on the full.
56mins - Both teams making changes now as fresh legs are needed.
54mins - Kendra Cocksedge converts the try and New Zealand leads 7-0.
53mins - TRY BLACK FERNS - Eloise Blackwell scores for New Zealand and after 53 minutes, we have a try. The lock powers her way over from close range. That was bound to happen as the Black Ferns have been hot on attack.
52mins - The ball is ripped out of the Black Ferns' hand and France ground the ball. They're checking here to see if it will be a scrum to NZ.
50mins - New Zealand get over the line. They had a chance to put the ball on the post, but they go for it. The referee says the ball has been held up and the Black Ferns have another scrum.
49mins - Black Ferns are back to 15 players now and once again, they're close to the line.
47mins - France win a penalty and the French crowd is happy.
46mins - Black Ferns still attacking the line. They're five out, and they drop the ball, but there was a penalty advantage so Kendra Cocksedge takes the quick tap.
45mins - Ball is held up, Black Ferns scrum. France dominate the scrum, but it a penalty to NZ.
44mins - The Black Ferns have a couple of attacks at the line, and the ball looks like they must score here, but it looks like the ball has been lost or didn't reach the chalk.
42mins - Black Ferns get very close to the line, and France give away a penalty. They go back and take the tap.
40mins - Krysten Cottrell gets the second half started and one of the French players knocks the ball on, so it is a scrum to New Zealand.
10:00am - The rain is now pouring down in Toulon, and I mean pouring.
HALFTIME - The Black Ferns kick the ball into touch to end the half. What a match this has been. I can't remember the last time a rugby game went into the break scoreless. It has been a physical encounter in the first 40 minutes.
39mins - As the rain pours down in Toulon France go on the attack and Monserrat Amedee beats a couple of defenders before kicking the ball forward.
38mins - France push hard from the line-out, but give away a penalty. Black Ferns survive.
37mins - YELLOW CARD BLACK FERNS - The Black Ferns are down to 14 players as Aroha Savage is sin-binned.
36mins - Krysten Cottrel kicks the ball straight into touch to give her forwards a mini break before the break.
35mins - Another scrum to the Black Ferns and they're on the halfway line with the ball. They are creeping forward.
33mins - France have the ball and Caroline Drouin kicks backwards Caroline Boujard to the wing and the play nearly works.
31mins - Time is off as Aroha Savage is down injured. Play resumes and it is a Black Ferns scrum, which France dominates once more, but the NZ girls get the ball out.
30mins - Black Ferns about 15m out from line, and France get the ball back and now they counter.
28mins - Black Ferns back on the attack, but the ball goes flying up in the air and both teams contest like it is an AFL game. France win the call here and they have another scrum.
26mins - France have an attacking line-out. Once again they kick for touch.
25mins - But their time with the ball doesn't last long as France win a penalty.
23mins - A penalty goes in favour of the Black Ferns and the crowd is not happy with that call. They kick for touch and have some rare ball inside France's 22.
21mins - An easy kick for Monserrat Amedee but it goes wide.
19mins - Framce have the ball but they aren't making any ground, then bang, Romane Menager makes a break and they're five out from the line. But the ball is turned over and the Black Ferns get to the ball. But it is a penalty to France and they will go for the three points.
17mins - France get the ball out of the scrum and Caroline Drouin kicks it forward, looks like she was aiming at the posts, but Kendra Cocksedge dives on the ball and it is a 22m restart.
16mins - A scrum to France, ten out from the line. If they can get another big push here, I have a feeling they will score.
15mins - France now go on the attack an they weave their way through. They put in an attacking kick from the breakdown and Caroline Boujard chases and puts Selica Winiata under pressure.
14mins - Another scrum and another penalty to France. Pauline Bourdon takes the quick tap, but once again, the Black Ferns get to the ball and now they're on the counter-attack.
12mins - Damm... That scrum was even bigger. It is like a monster truck ramming an ice cream truck. Another penalty to France. They kick for touch, but the ball doesn't go out.
11mins - Scrum to France as Stacey Waaka drops the ball hitting the line. Will be interesting to see how this scrum goes.
10mins - Wow, what a scrum by France. That was massive. The hosts win a penalty.
9mins - France turn the ball over, but the Black Ferns swarm over the French players and tackle them into touch. But the referee says there was a knock--on, so it is a scrum to France.
8mins - Krysten Cottrell sees some space and stabs a kick through, and the ball dribbles out into touch, five out from the French line. The hosts throw the ball in, but give away a penalty for not clearing the ball.
6mins - Black Ferns win a penalty, but the French turn the ball at the breakdown.
5mins - The Black Ferns drive from the line-out and get inside the 22. But Krysten Cottrell drops the slippery ball and France kick the ball away.
3mins - It has been raining in Toulon and you can already see the impact the rain has had with the ball not bouncing well and people falling over. Black Ferns win a early penalty and they will have the ball inside the French half.
2mins - The hosts are already in the 22. They try a cheeky kick over the top, but it goes out on the ball.
KICK-OFF - We're underway in Toulon. Caroline Drouin get us started with a low kick which Caroline Boujard re-gathers and she makes a break and chips the ball over Selica Winiata.The fullback gets a touch and it goes into touch.
9:02am - Usually, the opposition advances on the haka, but it was the Black Ferns who advance forward. There is a stare down after the haka.
9:00am - Now it is time for the haka.
8:56am - There was a brief applause for somebody who has recently passed away. Now it's time for the anthems.
8:53am - Both teams are about to walk out onto the field. Looks like there is a decent crowd at the venue.
8:46am - We're 15 minutes away from kick-off here. This should be a thrilling contest between the two best teams in the world.
Kia ora and welcome to live updates of the women's rugby test as France play host to the Black at Stade Mayol in Toulon, France.
The last time these two teams faced off was back in 2010 when the Black Ferns won 45-7 in the World Cup semi-finals.
France has not played since the Six Nations, a triumph with five victories and the title, sweeping Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Wales with ease and edging England 18-17.
Form in that February-March period thrust four of the French team into the spotlight as nominees for World Rugby’s women’s player of the year.
The Black Ferns last faced the USA in a World Cup semi-final in 2017, a match New Zealand won 45-12.
The match is the first of three at the venue with Ireland vs Italy to follow and then the Māori All Blacks against the US men's side.
Line-ups
France
1-Annaelle Deshaye, 2-Caroline Thomas3-Julie Duval, 4-Lenaig Corson, 5-Safi N’Diaye, 6-Gaelle Hermet (c), 7-Julie Annery, 8-Romane Menager, 9-Pauline Bourdon, 10-Caroline Drouin, 11-Caroline Boujard, 12-Carla Neisen, 13-Nassira Konde, 14-Cyrielle Banet, 15-Monserrat Amedee
Reserves: 16-Laure Touye, 17-Lise Arricastre, 18-Chloe Pelle, 19-Audrey Forlani, 20-Celine Ferer, 21-Yanna Rivoalen22-Maelle Filopon, 23-Ian Jason
Black Ferns
1-Phillipa Love, 2-Fiao'o Faamausili (c), 3-Aldora Itunu, 4-Eloise Blackwell, 5-Charmaine Smith, 6-Charmaine McMenamin, 7-Les Elder, 8-Aroha Savage, 9-Kendra Cocksedge, 10-Krysten Cottrell, 11-Ayesha Leti-I'iga, 12-Ruahei Demant, 13-Stacey Waaka, 14-Renee Wickliffe, 15-Selica Winiata
Reserves: 16-Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, 17-Leilani Perese, 18-Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, 19-Jackie Patea-Fereti, 20-Linda Itunu, 21-Marcelle Parkes*, 22-Kristina Sue, 23-Monica Tagoai
Pre-match banter: Black Ferns wary of tough test France will bring
By Lloyd Burr
The Black Ferns are about to face off against France for the first time in more than eight years.
It's expected to be a fierce battle in Toulon, with the French fronting a formidable forward pack.
The world champions are in good spirits but are by no means complacent.
Saturday morning's clash will be only the fifth time the Ferns and France have met - skipper Fiao'o Faiamausili is preparing for a battle of the packs
"They're going to bring it and we're going to bring it just as much" she said.
"We love the hard work up front and not just myself but all our forwards are looking forward to it"
Coach Glenn Moore has a bench ready to strike with an unconventional mix of six forwards and two backs - thanks to the versatility of debutant Marcelle Parkes
"They're a big pack, a physical pack, got good loose forwards but they've also got some talent in the backs" he said.
"We've put her [Parkes] there primarily as a forward but she's played a lot of her rugby on the wing."
She's one of the Black Ferns’ new generation as they enter the next World Cup cycle:
"Some girls are running out for their first test match at an awesome stadium so we're excited for them." Faiamausili said.
"We're expecting a big crowd in and we're expecting to be really noisy. " Moore said.
Toulon's been the home of countless All Blacks like Tana Umanga and Sonny Bill Williams and now it's the Black Ferns' turn to make their mark for NZ in this rugby-mad town.
Newshub.
