Australia hold off US for last spot in Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinals

Australia will face Pool B winner Canada, which put away the Scots 40-19 in Exeter.

Also, Fiji won its first ever international against Wales 28-25 in a game that was attended by William, the Prince of Wales and patron of Welsh rugby. His wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales and patron of English rugby, was in Brighton to watch England.

England 47, Australia 7

After the big win by the U.S., Australia would fail to reach the quarterfinals only if it lost by at least 76 points and didn’t get a bonus point.

That looked far less likely from the sixth minute when hooker Adiana Talakai scored from a lineout drive after a scrum penalty for the Wallaroos.

Fellow front-rower Eva Karpani was held up over the line and, in the first quarter, England’s only points were a Jess Breach try from a forward pass. Australia made a storming start, kicking superbly and rattling England into uncharacteristic errors.

But when they strung 12 phases and lock Abbie Ward scored in the 32nd, England had clicked and pulled away on the back of ever-reliable forward power. Six of its seven tries were by forwards.

Sadia Kabeya and Kelsey Clifford went over twice, along with Abbie Ward and Sarah Bern, who finished the game in the sin-bin. England’s defense was forced to make 167 tackles but impressively kept its try-line clean after Australia scored early.

England’s only apparent concerns were injuries to prop Hannah Botterman, who suffered a back spasm, and fullback Ellie Kildunne, the 2024 world player of the year who took a heavy knock to her head.

United States 60, Samoa 0

The U.S. put pressure on Australia by delivering a 10-try win to stay in quarterfinals contention. However, Australia grabbed the spot on points difference, plus-33 to the Eagles’ minus-2.

“We put our whole hearts on the line, that’s all I can ask for,” Eagles captain Kate Zackary said.

Flanker Freda Tafuna scored four tries. Tafuna was given a hat trick against Australia in their 31-31 draw last weekend but, post-match, one of her tries was given to prop Hope Rogers, the Eagles’ most capped player.

Rogers scored two more against Samoa.

Tafuna started the Americans’ points chase with a try from her own half in the sixth minute.

The Eagles had the four-try bonus point by the 27th. But with points so badly needed, McKenzie Hawkins was replaced as the goalkicker after missing her first three attempts and Gabriella Cantorna took over. She landed five of seven.

Samoa, playing its first World Cup in 11 years, was spirited and fought to the end. It enjoyed a purple patch while U.S. replacement wing Kristen Bitter was in the sin-bin, but the Eagles were just as determined not to concede. Flanker Georgie Perris-Redding stripped Samoa in a tackle between her own posts, and Zackary made a try-saving tackle on Samoa’s Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung.

Tafuna’s fourth try sent the U.S. past 50 points in a World Cup match for the first time in 15 years.

Canada 40 Scotland 19

Canada moved into the quarterfinals unbeaten by overpowering Scotland in Exeter.

Underdog Scotland made Canada miss 27 tackles, but Canada always found another gear to slip into, especially through its pack.

Of Canada’s six tries, five were scored by front-rowers and a penalty try came from a pushover attempt that was illegally collapsed by Scotland. Canada hooker Emily Tuttosi was the player of the match for scoring twice.

Both teams had already qualified for the quarterfinals after beating Fiji and Wales. As the winner of Pool B, Canada’s last-eight opponent will be England, Australia or the United States, who were all playing later. Scotland will play the winner of Pool A, expected to be England.

Prop McKinley Hunt opened Canada’s scoring, and Scotland replied through wing Rhona Lloyd in their only visit to the 22 in the first half.

Hunt would have had a second try but the ball was cynically jolted from her grasp by Scotland No. 8 Evie Gallagher, who was yellow-carded. Scotland’s seven-woman scrum was then monstered by Canada’s for the penalty try.

Canada then swept from halfway for Tuttosi to reach out and score for 19-5 at halftime.

Gallagher returned from the sin-bin in the second half to score from a great attacking line and trail 19-12, but Canada’s forwards took charge again with tries by Tuttosi and replacement props Brittany Kassil and Olivia DeMerchant.

In between, Scotland wing Francesca McGhie scored her sixth try of the tournament, tying Canada’s Julia Schell for the tournament lead.

Fiji 28 Wales 25

Fiji held on to win a thriller in Exeter and extend Wales’ longest World Cup losing streak to six matches with William, the Prince of Wales, in attendance.

Fiji dominated the first half to lead 28-15 at halftime. But Wales controlled the second and scored two more tries and had another disallowed for a knock-on over the try-line. That seemed a harsh call by Television Match Official Andrew McMenemy against Carys Cox as video showed no obvious separation from the ball.

In spite of that, Wales’ failure to convert its five tries was decisive, as Litiani Vueti converted all four of Fiji’s.

Keira Bevan missed all four of her conversion attempts — one was charged down — and Lleucu George missed the last.

Fijiana center Josifini Neihamu starred with two tries on the back of her forwards’ power, and the last-minute jackal just meters from her own try-line that secured the victory.

The victory from the first international between the teams was not just a boon for the Fijiana, who are appearing at only their second World Cup, but also their coach Ioan Cunningham, who coached Wales from 2021-24 and to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2022.

___

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

Foster Niumata, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Australia hold off US for last spot in Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinals

More Local News