Australia made light work of Samoa with a flawless performance in Salford, registering their record margin of victory in a Women’s World Cup game to move top of Group A after the opening round of fixtures.
With the competition expanding from 12 teams to 16, it was perhaps expected there would be some one-sided results. This was categorically one of those as the Wallaroos began their campaign with a dominant victory to tee up what will almost certainly be a winner-takes-all clash with USA next Saturday in York to qualify with England.
They scored 11 tries, including seven in a blistering first-half performance to not only surpass their record 62-0 victory over South Africa, in the 2010 tournament, but move ahead of England on points difference. Samoa showed plenty of spirit, but they were well beaten on their first World Cup appearance since 2014.
Australia’s coach, Jo Yapp said: “I’m really proud of the girls, because they work so hard behind the scenes. We know Samoa are a tough side and they never roll over, so full credit to them. The confidence to move the ball was great and in that first half we were clinical, more than we have been recently. To keep them at nil, because they were throwing a lot at us in the second half, was great.”
The writing was on the wall from the first minute for Samoa, when Harmony Vatau kicked out on the full from inside her own 22. From the resulting lineout they illustrated their superiority as Katalina Amosa drove over, with Sammy Wood converting. It set the tone for what would follow.
Australia Halse (Cramer 53), Stewart, Friedrichs, Smith, Miller, Moleka (Hinds 53), Wood (Morgan 53); Pohiva (Hoy 47), Amosa (Talakai 47), Karpani (O’Gorman 47), Leaney (Fernandez 66), Leonard, Duck, Chancellor, Tuinakauvadra (Marsters 53). Tries Amosa, Miller 3, Halse 2, Chancellor, Karpani, Smith, Talakai 2. Cons Wood 6, Cramer 3.
Samoa Wright-Akeli, Aumua, Pouri-Lane, Makisi (Tugaga 66), Falaniko, Vatau, Afuie (Salale 66); Mamea (Aiolupotea 41), Filimaua (Leuta 41), Samuelu (Iosefo 41), Sio (Taylor 41), Onesemo-Tuilaepa (Madisen-Jade 63), Ryder, Pauaraisa, Atonio.
Referee Lauren Jenner (NZ).
Five minutes later, some fine handling freed Miller to score in the corner before Caitlyn Halse broke from deep to score Australia’s third. The Wallaroos secured their bonus point inside 15 minutes as Emily Chancellor powered over before Eva Karpani was the latest beneficiary of another strong maul to make it 33-0.
Miller scored her second after another wonderful piece of play allowed the winger a simple finish in the corner, but as half-time approached Samoa did begin to show signs of improvement with the ball, but errors would continue to be their undoing. Those errors were allowing Australia to extend their lead almost every time they advanced into Samoan territory.
Their seventh try came when Miller completed her hat-trick as she combined with fellow winger, Maya Stewart. The biggest roars of that first half came whenever Samoa pushed hard for their first points in Australian territory, but by the break they had been unable to breach the Wallaroos’ line.
To Samoa’s immense credit, they were much more resolute after half-time. While they had some chances to score their first points and came up short, they were proving a much sterner test after the interval.
France grind down Italy in Pool D
France scored three tries to beat Italy 24-0 in their Women's Rugby World Cup opener in Exeter.
After a tight start between the two Pool D teams, Joanna Grisez broke the deadlock in the 27th minute to cross, squeezing through a gap in the Italian defence before grounding and Morgane Bourgeois converted.
France almost had a second following a scrappy defensive effort from Italy, but their effort was ruled out after the ball was deemed to have been simultaneously grounded by both Alyssa D'Inca and Bourgeois.
The French full-back shortly extended their lead from the tee just before the break and Assia Khalfaoui eventually bagged the second five minutes into the second-half, with Bourgeois converting.
France were then forced to work for their third try, going through 20 phases before Charlotte Escudero, pictured, went over and Bourgeois added the extras. PA Media
The first Australia try of the second half arrived on 53 minutes when centre Cecilia Smith brought up their half century. It would take another 15 minutes for them to score again with Samoa showing some magnificent spirit before Australia’s maul proved too dominant again, this time Adiana Talakai scoring.
The record try arrived four minutes from time. After Melina Grace Salale was sent off for a dangerous tackle, Talakia forced her way over for her second and the Wallaroos’ 10th before Halse scored her second in the final minute.
Samoa’s coach, Ramsey Tomokino, said: “Our players now understand what it’s like to be at a Rugby World Cup. It’s not the result we wanted, but full credit to Australia. We knew Australia were going to be tough. The message at half-time was ‘let’s win the second half’. It was a better second-half effort from our players.”
