Aussies crumble in final under rival's hat-trick heroics

The Black Ferns have blitzed the Australian women, winning the Los Angeles leg of the SVNS in a high-intensity final.

New Zealand were 29-14 winners in a fast-paced final, led by Michaela Blyde who scored a hat-trick.

She opened the scoring less than two minutes into the match to take a 5-0 lead after Australia's Sharni Smale lost possession of the ball in the breakdown.

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Smale made amends almost immediately, however. She found clear air before Charlotte Caslick scored with three minutes to go in the half to lead by two points with the conversion.

With a minute and a half to go, Blyde stepped and fended her way through the defence for another runaway try, taking New Zealand into half-time with a 12-7 lead.

Madison Levi was a casualty late in the first half, copping a two-minute yellow card for dangerous head-on-head contact.

Just seconds into the second half, Risi Pouri-Lane found space to score the second try and take New Zealand out to a 10-point advantage at 17-7.

Then Portia Woodman-Wickliffe shrugged off Dominique Du Toit to score a sensational solo try, making it 22-7.

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Australia scored one consolation try through Levi after a slick switchback play that allowed her into space and run the length of the field, drawing the margin back go 22-14.

However, New Zealand would have the final say through Blyde with the last of her three tries to end it 27-14.

"I'm so proud of the girls," said Blyde.

"We've been looking for that kind of consistency for the whole season. So to do that over the last two weeks is really good.

"Obviously we're building towards the big picture of the Olympic Games, but this is one of the stepping stones. The big goal now is to continue this consistency.

"It's really hard to be at the top and we love having the target on our back, but Australia have been incredible this season so to chase them has been quite fun."

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Australia leads the women's series standings on 90 points ahead of New Zealand on 86 and France on 74.

The SVNS circus continues in Hong Kong on April 5-7 before Singapore (May 3-5) and the finale in Madrid (May 31-June 2).