Here was the captivating arm-wrestle we had been waiting for. Second place in Pool A behind England was probably on the line, and both teams gave everything in an utterly compelling match with a barely believable script.
Neither deserved to lose, and if England comfortably defeat the Wallaroos next week, it should come down to points difference between these two sides for a place in the last eight. After Eva Karpani’s concluding try for Australia, Samantha Wood’s simple conversion chance could have won it five minutes from time, but she pulled it, in doing so arguably guaranteeing the right result.
The precocious wing Desiree Miller and the 18-year-old full-back Caitlyn Halse both scored twice for the Wallaroos, while Freda Tafuna was credited with a hat-trick for the USA, although the No 6 said the third was scored by Hope Rogers. A late try by Erica Jarrell-Searcy, plus that disputed score, looked to have won it for the USA before Karpani’s try levelled it. Australia face England next Saturday while the USA have a less demanding task against Samoa, against whom the Wallaroos racked up a 73-0 score.
“Bittersweet,” said Sione Fukofuka, the USA head coach. “We did everything to get back in the game, gave ourselves an opportunity to close it out … Really proud of the players to work back in the game but really disappointed that’s how it ended. We’re hoping England can put a pretty good performance in [against Australia], and we get a chance to rack up some points against Samoa.”
Jo Yapp, Australia head coach, was similarly conflicted. “Many mixed emotions,” she said. “A little bit flat and disappointed, really. We had opportunities to win but the discipline in the second half cost us … It [qualification] is in our hands. We’ll go into that England game knowing exactly what we need to do.”
Steel-grey skies and teeming rain made for a traditionally English occasion. It felt more winter than late summer and the early skirmishes were suitably uncompromising, juddering tackles and fierce breakdown duels all over.
Miller soon dotted down the first try, continuing her red-hot form after a hat-trick against Samoa. Ilona Maher, meanwhile, was playing like someone who didn’t fancy informing her Instagram followers about another defeat. The centre carried with power and intensity and was a breakdown menace. When Keia Mae Sagapolu pouched a lineout and broke through, she found the captain Kate Zackary, and Tafuna eventually came up with the ball.
McKenzie Hawkins lingered over the conversion, though, and ran out of time. That felt significant, and Australia finished the half in the ascendancy, Hulse torpedoing under the posts to create a nine-point half-time lead.
It was now or never for the USA. Cheta Emba attacked on the right, Erica Coulibaly made progress on the left and Sagapolu forced her way over with a brilliant close-range finish. Hawkins’ kick bounced off both posts and out.
But the Americans were unbowed. Maher, a force of nature at the breakdown, brought a penalty and after Hawkins kicked for the corner Tafuna finished off a powerful drive. The celebrations were riotous, even more so when Hawkins nailed a difficult kick to create a three-point lead.
Momentum shifted? Not so fast. Miller burned across again for her fifth try of the tournament with Australia’s next attack, Wood missing the conversion, before a scrum penalty and lovely hands put Hulse over again and the bonus point for the Wallaroos. Nine points in it.
Jarrell-Searcy’s clever pick and go along with the try disputed between Tafuna and Rogers put Fukofuka’s side back in control. “I did my part, but Hope Rogers deserves that credit, and I want to give it to her,” Tafuna said. Wood should have won it for Australia after Karpani’s concluding score, but the drama will go down to the final day after this magnificent encounter.
USA Sharp; Emba (Cantorna 56), Maher, Henrich, Coulibaly; Hawkins, Bargell (Ortiz 68); Rogers, Treder, Sagapolu, Taufoou (Ehrecke 77), Jarrell-Searcy, Tafuna (Brody 68), Zackary (capt), Johnson. Tries Tafuna 3, Sagapolu, Jarrell-Searcy. Cons Hawkins 3.
Australia Halse; Stewart, Friedrichs, Smith (Pomare 61), Miller; Moleka (Hinds 72), Wood; Pohiva (Kavoa 43),Naden (Amosa 56), O'Gorman (Karpani 61), Leaney (capt.), Duck, Chancellor (Marsters 52), Tuinakauvadra. Tries Miller 2, Halse 2, Karpani. Cons Wood 3.
Referee Sara Cox (Eng). Attendance 7,828.
“I’m pretty chuffed,” said Miller after her fourth and fifth try of her debut World Cup. “All that stuff’s great, but at the end of the day it’s about the team, and it just sucks that we couldn’t get the win.”
Maher, meanwhile, said of her outstanding performance: “I’m excited about the turnovers … and I tried to get the ball in my hands a couple of times. Yeah, it was cool. All or nothing, really, huh? We’ve got to leave it all out there [next week] or we’re not going to play again … we have to beat them with a great margin.”
Fukofuka said of Maher: “She played tough, didn’t she? I’d love to give her more ball in space, and hopefully we’ll get that opportunity next week. What you saw out there is a tough rugby player.”
The USA kick off against Samoa at 1.30pm next Saturday, here in York, before England face Australia at 5pm in Brighton. “We have to put points on and hopefully England really give it to Australia,” said Maher. You want jeopardy? Well there it is.
