Wallaroos bag the last quarterfinal spot despite defeat to England
WRAP: Favourites England were made to work hard for their 47-7 victory against Australia at the Brighton & Hove Albion Stadium on Saturday, topping Pool A with their opponents also going through to the last eight of Rugby World Cup 2025.
Australia, knowing they would join England in the quarterfinals ahead of the USA with a defeat by 74 points or less, struck first, Adiana Talakai finishing a well-worked try off the back of a driving lineout.
But England hit straight back, Jess Breach marking her 50th cap with her 51st, and probably easiest, test try.
The rest of England’s victory was built on their superior forward power, particularly in the scrum. Australia defended heroically but had no answer the the hosts’ relentless physicality.
England scored six more tries, with Sadia Kabeya and replacement prop Kelsey Clifford both touching down twice, to make it a record-equaling 30th victory in a row as a sell-out 30,443 crowd partied in the evening sunshine.
Both face quarterfinals at Bristol’s Ashton Gate Stadium next weekend, Australia playing Canada on Saturday while England take on Scotland on Sunday.
USA’s 60-0 win over Samoa was not enough to book a play-off spot.
Needing a points-difference swing of 135 across the two Pool A matches, back-row Freda Tafuna quelled a lively Samoa start to scamper up the wing to score her third try of the competition. Hope Rogers, playing in her fourth Rugby World Cup, speared over from a well-worked lineout and added a second three minutes before Cassidy Bargell crossed to ensure the bonus point.
Erica Coulibaly benefited from USA’s support play for the team’s fifth try but at half-time a one-from-five conversion rate from the tee might have been preying on American minds given the points chasm.
Second-row Erica Jarrell-Searcy kept up her record of scoring in each pool game with an early try after the break, and the irrepressible Tafuna ran in her second and barrelled over from close range for another two scores despite team-mate Kristen Bitter being in the sin bin during the latter.
Fullback Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung almost brought the house down by going within a metre of the Eagles’ try line as the Manusina pushed for their first try of the tournament, only for Olivia Ortiz to overcome some superb Samoan defending to round off the scoring.
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Meanwhile in what was arguable the upset of the day was Fiji securing a 28-25 win over Fiji.
The victory means that Fiji didn’t leave Rugby World Cup 2025 empty-handed after an entertaining match in front of a 14,082 sell-out crowd at a sun-drenched Sandy Park on Saturday.
Wales started and finished the first half strongly with tries from Carys’ Cox and Sisilia Tuipulotu respectively and added another through Alex Callender.
But they could do little about Fiji’s ability to keep the ball alive with their trademark offloading game. Josifini Neihamu scored two tries from brilliant running lines before scrum-half Setaita Railumu’s snipe from the base of the scrum and Repeka Adi Tove’s made it four for Fiji in the first half.
Kayleigh Powell’s clever footwork gave Wales hope early in the second half but we had to wait until the 72nd minute for the next score, Wales moving within three points of Fiji after Lisa Neumann dived over in the corner.
But in a frantic finish, Fiji held out for just their second victory in Women’s Rugby World Cup history.
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Canada 40-19 Scotland
The scorers:
For Canada:
Tries: Hunt, penalty try, Tuttosi 2, Kassil, DeMerchant
Cons: De Goede 3, Tessier
For Scotland:
Tries: Lloyd, Gallagher, McGhie
Cons: Nelson 2
Teams:
Canada: 15 Julia Schell, 14 Paige Farries, 13 Florence Symonds, 12 Alexandra Tessier (captain), 11 Asia Hogan-Rochester; 10 Taylor Perry, 9 Justine Pelletier; 8 Gabrielle Senft, 7 Karen Paquin, 6 Fabiola Forteza; 5 Tyson Beukeboom, 4 Sophie de Goede; 3 DaLeaka Menin, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 1 McKinley Hunt
Replacements: 16 Gillian Boag, 17 Brittany Kassil, 18 Olivia DeMerchant, 19 Laetitia Royer, 20 Courtney O’Donnell, 21 Caroline Crossley, 22 Olivia Apps, 23 Shoshanah Seumanutafa
Scotland: 15 Chloe Rollie, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 13 Emma Orr, 12 Lisa Thomson, 11 Francesca McGhie, 10 Helen Nelson, 9 Leia Brebner-Holden, 8 Evie Gallagher, 7 Rachel McLachlan, 6 Rachel Malcolm (captain), 5 Sarah Bonar, 4 Emma Wassell, 3 Lisa Cockburn, 2 Lana Skeldon, 1 Leah Bartlett
Replacements: 16 Elis Martin, 17 Anne Young, 18 Molly Poolman, 19 Jade Konkel, 20 Eva Donaldson, 21 Alex Stewart, 22 Caity Mattinson, 23 Evie Willis
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SARU)
Assistant Referees: Ella Goldsmith (RA) & Maria Heitor (FPR)
TMO: Rachel Horton (RA)
USA 60-0 Samoa
The scorers:
For USA
Tries: Tafuna 4, Rogers 2, Bargell 2, Coulibaly, Jarrell, Ortiz
Cons: Cantorna 5
For Samoa: NONE
Teams:
USA: 15 Sariah Ibarra, 14 Emily Henrich, 13 Ilona Maher, 12 Gabriella Cantorna, 11 Erica Coulibaly, 10 McKenzie Hawkins, 9 Cassidy Bargell, 8 Rachel Johnson, 7 Kate Zackary (captain),6 Freda Tafuna, 5 Erica Jarrell-Searcy, 4 Hallie Taufoou, 3 Keia Mae Sagapolu, 2 Kathryn Treder, 1 Hope Rogers.
Replacements: 16 Paige Stathopoulos, 17 Maya Learned, 18 Alivia Leatherman, 19 Tahlia Brody, 20 Georgie Perris-Redding, 21 Olivia Ortiz, 22 Kristin Bitter, Alev Kelter.
Samoa: 15 Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung, 14 Lutia Col Aumua, 13 Keilamarita Pouri-Lane, 12 Harmony Vatau, 11 Drenna Falaniko, 10 Karla Wright-Akeli, 9 Ana Afuie, 8 Joanna Fanene Lolo, 7 Sui Pauaraisa, 6 Utumalama Atonio, 5 Demielle Onesemo-Tuilaepa, 4 Ana-Lise Sio, 3 Tori Iosefo, 2 Avau Filimaua, 1 Denise Aiolupotea
Replacements: 16 Faith Nonutunu, 17 Ana Mamea, 18 Glory Aiono, 19 Jay-Jay Taylor, 20 Nina Foaese, 21 Sinead Ryder, 22 Faalua Tugaga, 23 Fa’asua Makisi.
Referee: Natarsha Ganley (NZR)
Assistant Referees: Holly Wood (RFU) & Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Wales 25-28 Fiji
The scorers:
For Wales:
Tries: Cox, Callender, Tuipulotu, Powell, Neumann
For Fiji:
Tries: Neihamu 2, Railumu, Adi Tove
Cons: Vueti 4
Teams:
Wales: 15 Kayleigh Powell, 14 Lisa Neymann, 13 Carys Cox, 12 Courtney Keight, 11 Nel Metcalfe, 10 Lleucu George, 9 Keira Bevan, 8 Alex Callender, 7 Bethan Lewis, 6 Kate Wiilliams, 5 Gwen Crabb, 4 Georgia Evans, 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 2 Carys Phillips, 1 Maisie Davies.
Replacements: 16 Molly Reardon, 17 Gwenllian Pyrs, 18 Donna Rose, 19 Abbie Fleming, 20 Bryonie King, 21 Seren Lockwood, 22 Hannah Dallavalle, 23 Jasmine Joyce-Butchers
Fiji: 15 Litiana Vueti, 14 Repeka Adi Tove, 13 Verenaisi Ditavutu, 12 Josifini Neihamu, 11 Kolora Lomani, 10 Salanieta Kinita, 9 Setaita Railumu, 8 Manuqalo Komaitai, 7 Alfreda Fisher, 6 Nunia Daunimoala, 5 Asinate Serevi, 4 Jade Coates, 3 Vika Matarugu, 2 Keleni Marawa, 1 Karalaini Naisewa
Replacements: 16 Selai Naliva, 17 Carletta Yee, 18 Tiana Robanakadavu, 19 Mereoni Nakesa, 20 Sulita Waisega, 21 Repeka Mata, 22 Kelerayani Luvu, 23 Adi Salote Nailolo
Referee: Kat Roche (USAR)
Assistant Referees: Lauren Jenner (FIR) & Jess Ling (RA)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (SRU)
England 47-7 Australia
The scorers:
For England:
Tries: Breach, Ward, Kabeya 2, Clifford 2, Bern
Cons: Harrison 6
For Australia
Tries: Talakai
Con: Wood
England: 15 Ellie Kildunne, 14 Abby Dow, 13 Megan Jones, 12 Tatyana Heard, 11 Jess Breach, 10 Helena Rowland, 9 Lucy Packer, 8 Maddie Feaunati, 7 Sadia Kabeya, 6 Morwenna Talling, 5 Abbie Ward, 4 Rosie Galligan, 3 Maud Muir, 2 Amy Cokayne, 1 Hannah Botterman.
Replacements: 16 Lark Atkin-Davies, 17 Kelsea Clifford, 18 Sarah Bern, 19 Lili Ives Cmpion, 20 Maddie Feaunati, 21 Lucy Packer, 22 Holly Aitchison, 23 Helena Rowland.
Australia: 15 Caitlyn Halse, 14 Maya Stewart, 13 Georgina Friedrichs, 12 Trilleen Pomare, 11 Desiree Miller, 10 Faitala Moleka, 9 Samantha Wood, 8 Siokapesi Palu, 7 Ashley Marsters, 6 Piper Duck, 5 Michaela Leonard, 4 Kaitlan Leaney, 3 Eva Karpani, 2 Adiana Talakai, 1 Lydia Kavoa.
Replacements: 16 Tania Naden, 17 Faliki Pohiva, 18 Bridie O’Gorman, 19 Annabelle Codey, 20 Emily Chancellor , 21 Tabua Tuinakuvadra, 22 Tia Hinds, 23 Cecilia Smith.
Referee: Sara Cox (RFU)
Assistant Referees: Holly Wood (RFU) & Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
