England 47 – Wallaroos 7
The Wallaroos have secured their place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinals despite suffering a sobering 47-7 defeat to tournament favourites England in their final pool clash.
Needing to avoid a 76 point loss to stay in the competition, Australia’s superior points differential ensured they finished second in their group, ahead of the United States. They will now face Canada in the early hours Sunday morning in a sudden-death quarterfinal.
A sold-out crowd in a Brighton, which included Catherine, Princess of Wales, witnessed the Wallaroos’ spirited start and England’s eventual dominance.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the Wallaroos produced encouraging signs early. Adriana Talakai’s try opened the scoring and Australia held the lead for the first half hour, with the Australian side going into the sheds at half-time only trailing by two tries at 19 to 7.
Adiana Talakai scores the first try in England match. Photo: supplied by Shee Nathan-Wong (Rugby Australia).
Coach Jo Yapp spoke on the Wallaroos’ impressive start.
“I thought the first 30 minutes [of] the game management and the control from our game drivers was really, really good and they were putting us in the right areas which was exactly what we wanted them to do,” she said.
“So that was really positive but obviously for us next week we need to be able to do that for longer.”
However, it was long until the Red Roses’ forward power and clinical execution took control. The home favourites scored an additional four tries in the second half and left the Wallaroos scoreless, extending their remarkable streak to 29 consecutive wins.
It’s absolutely massive for a group like this because these girls are not full-time athletes.
The match-up also saw the return of Wallaroos captain Siokapesi Palu after a nasty ankle injury left her sidelined. Palu was injected straight into Yapp’s starting side and provided much needed direction and determination in the number 8 jersey.
The skipper spoke to the media about the bittersweet loss post-match.
“There’s definitely mixed emotions in the change rooms its what we expect. We can take positives, and I think we probably shocked ourselves that we can compete and that 30 minutes showed that,” said Palu.
One of the last times Australia endured a similar score was against Canada back in May, during the Pacific Four Series where they lost 45 to 7.
The upcoming match will be an opportunity for the Wallaroos to highlight their growth and learnings from their World Cup campaign and hopefully progress further into the series.
Yapp highlighted how grateful her team have been for their opportunities this year and the World Cup.
“It’s absolutely massive for a group like this because these girls are not full-time athletes. So the opportunity that we’ve had to come together this year and have more time together you can see game on game them getting better and better,” she said.
This will be Yapps last time coaching the Wallaroos by Shee Nathan-Wong (Rugby Australia).
“They’re obviously really good rugby players, but they’re just really good people and to have the opportunity to work with them, I’ve learned so much … I feel very privileged and honoured to have coached them.”
Canada is currently ranked number two in the world and are going into the finals with speed after finishing at the top of their pool with an undefeated streak. The Wallaroos will need to regroup quickly to meet a Canadian outfit if they are to contend for a spot in the semi-finals.
Main image supplied by Shee Nathan-Wong (Rugby Australia).
