Thrilling. Intense. A classic Test match. Australia pushed England to their limits with a strong first-half performance, but the Red Roses regained control in the second half, securing a quarter-final clash with Scotland and their 30th consecutive victory—matching their own world record.
The final score did not fully reflect the fiercely contested Pool A decider, with England only taking the lead after 33 minutes. Still, Australia’s efforts were rewarded as the outcome secured their place in the quarter-finals, eliminating the USA in the process, while setting up a meeting with Canada.
While England’s mistakes may raise concerns, the bigger worry is the injuries suffered by key players in a physically demanding contest. Prop Hannah Botterman suffered an acute back spasm, while full-back Ellie Kildunne and back-row Morwenna Talling failed head injury assessments.
Australia knew beforehand that a win, a bonus point, or a loss by fewer than 74 points would book their quarter-final spot. Early on, they disrupted England’s set-piece and opened the scoring with a try from Adiana Talakai following a strong maul. England responded through Jess Breach on her 50th cap, but stubborn defense from Amy Cokayne kept Australia at bay.
The Wallaroos came close again when a smart kick from Caitlyn Halse forced Natasha Hunt to scramble the ball clear. England thought they had scored another try, but the TMO ruled Cokayne lost control over the line. More trouble followed as Botterman left the field in visible pain.
Sloppy mistakes disrupted England’s usual attacking rhythm, allowing Australia to dictate proceedings until Abbie Ward finally crossed. The Wallaroos had their own setbacks, losing Lydia Kavoa to injury before Sadia Kabeya scored from a rolling maul to make it 19-7 at halftime.
A loose attack early in the second half led to England’s next try, set up by Natasha Hunt’s sharp footwork before Kabeya grabbed her second. Kildunne was then forced off after a head knock.
The Red Roses capitalized when Faitala Moleka was sin-binned for head contact, with replacement Kelsey Clifford crashing over to extend their lead.
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