New Zealand overcame three sin-binnings to notch a narrow 13-10 win over England in this morning's final of the women's World Cup rugby tournament and secure their fourth title at Twickenham in London.
The Black Ferns backed-up territorial dominance with a strong defence as England, playing them in the final for the third consecutive time, threw the kitchen sink at them in front of a crowd of 13,253.
Centre Kelly Brazier kicked what proved to be the winning penalty with 14 minutes left.
"These girls were brilliant today," New Zealand captain Melissa Ruscoe said.
"We certainly didn't have anywhere near (the resources of) what other teams have had here - but when you've got the support like we've had here, you're playing for everybody (at home)."
New Zealand winger Carla Hohepa opened the scoring with a 33rd-minute converted try, touching down for the seventh time in the tournament for the only points of the first half.
England first-five eighth Katy McLean and Brazier traded penalties before Charlotte Barras barged over for a 61st-minute try.
McLean landed the conversion to level the score but Brazier's late penalty clinched victory for New Zealand.
New Zealand ripped into England from the kick off and only a superb one on one tackle from Danielle Waterman on Brazier halted the centre after a jinking run.
It was all New Zealand in the opening 10 minutes as England defended desperately.
The pressure on England lifted slightly when New Zealand first five-eighth Anna Richards was sin binned for not rolling away but Katy McLean couldn't capitalise for England when her first penalty effort drifted just wide.
The penalty count continued to rise against New Zealand as England finally got some ball to work with and prop Mel Bosman was also yellow carded.
But despite playing with less than their full complement, the Black Ferns struck first when Hohepa stepped Amy Turner to score the game's first try and her seventh of the tournament. Brazier converted for 7-0.
In the last kick of the half, McLean hit the upright with a penalty attempt leave New Zealand 7-0 in the lead at halftime.
McLean made amends with an early second half penalty but New Zealand came back.
Hohepa nearly added a second try when she pounced on an England turnover but lock Joanna McGilchrist produced the cover tackle of the tournament.
Brazier stretched New Zealand's lead to 10-3 with a penalty but they lost Ruscoe to yet another yellow card.
"It was massive and that doesn't come down to fitness," Ruscoe said of the team's response to the sin-binnings.
"It doesn't come down to how much you do down the gym - that comes down to pride and passion and the jersey that you are wearing. The girls just put their whole heart into it and got us through the game. "
England equalised when they opted to scrummage from the penalty and, after great work from the pack, the ball was popped onto the blindside for Charlotte Barras to score her fourth try of the tournament which McLean superbly converted.
New Zealand's winning points came off a penalty after they drove deep into English territory and Brazier slotted a penalty from just inside the 22m line.
"I was pretty nervous with the penalty at 10-10. The crowd were making a lot of noise. I just thought of it as another kick and thankfully it went straight through the posts. Relief, but obviously there was still a bit of time on the clock so I knew it wasn't over yet," Ruscoe said.
The New Zealand defence then proved impenetrable as England sought to win the game from deep inside their half in the final minutes.
"We knew if we could just get back down their end, no one has scored on us from their own 22, so we were happy," Brazier said in her post-match interview.
For her efforts, Hohepa was adjudged the International Rugby Board's personality of the year.
NZPA