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The players are back on the field. This is going to be epic.
There’s so little between the teams but the Americans are edging a few of the stats.
They’d made more metres in the carry, have made more runs with ball in hand, had had greater success at the ruck and have dominated territory.
But they’d not been able to capitalise and must now produce a massive 40 minute performance if they want to take part in the quarterfinals.
Shoutout to Paul Hughes who is keeping in touch with the rugby, and writing in, from Kyiv.
Hope you’re well Paul and thanks for your email.
Half-time: USA 5-14 Australia
Nope, they decide they’ve had enough and punt it out after winning the scrum.
Brilliant game. I’d be staggered if a better 40 has been played this World Cup. Australia took their chances. The USA coughed up too many of theirs. That’s the difference as the two teams head into the sheds with the game in the balance.
40 min: Sharp spills a bouncing ball so Australia have a scrum inside the Eagles’ turf and a chance to add more points before the break.
TRY! USA 5-14 Australia (Halse, 39)
What a try! Brilliant from the Wallaroos. Naden went short with the line-out. Then the maul was set. The Americans held firm so Wood sent it towards the midfield where Halse, up from fullback, joined the line with a superb run and found a gap to slide under the poles. Wood took an age to convert from right in front but she made no mistake.
38 min: The clearing kick from Hawkins doesn’t go very far. Just to the 22 where Australia will have the line-out throw. It’s too long and the USA come away with it. But there’s a penalty against the Eagles. Was that obstruction? Halse doesn’t ask questions. She punts to the corner once more. Naden has to find her jumper five out.
36 min: From the line-out close to halfway Smith and then Maher carry through midfield for the USA. But there’s a spill in contact so now Australia have a scrum feed with space on both sides and wingers primed. A slightly shorter blindside down the left with both Halse and Moleka standing right behind the scrum. They do go left for Miller who makes great ground. Now they go right through the hands. Back towards the left. Wood is zipping it across the park. Seven phases. Halse involved throughout. Tafuna lands a big hit but the Aussies continue. Duck finds an opening, she’s into the 22 but loses her footing. Australia retain possession and look for Stewart on the right wing but the flat pass is not accruate and goes straight out. The USA will have the throw deep inside their own 22.
33 min: The USA win a penalty on the ground! The Aussies won the line-out but couldn’t set the maul. Duck charged and was knocked back. Australia stuck with the blindside which played into the hands of the Americans who had the numbers to get over the ball and win the relieving penalty.
31 min: Like the USA’s line-out, the Australian scrum has worked as it should. It gives Moleka a platform to hoof a long kick forward. Sharp carries it back for the Eagles and is nailed by Duck (insert your own joke here). That forces the mistake and the Wallaroos swarm, winning the turnover on the deck. Halse finds touch five out. Chance to strike back.
29 min: Another penalty goes the way of the USA. Straight from the restart, Australia lose their cool and feet at the breakdown. A free exit for the USA who once again win the line-out. Tafuna with another big carry – she’s having a stormer of a game. Momentum all with the Americans. Up to halfway. Hawkins tries to force the issue as she looks for an edge but the ball drifts forward as she tries to find Zackary – also having a stormer – on the support line. Swift line speed from the Aussies was the difference there.
TRY! USA 5-7 Australia (Tafuna, 27)
They’re there! You can’t say they don’t deserve that. It started with a ropey line-out that found prop Sagapolu at the back. He held on before passing to her skipper Zackary who stormed forward, making great ground. From there they needed to secure they ball. They did before Tafuna powered over from close range. The wind blew the ball off the tee as Wawkins went to convert and she ran out of time before she could reset.
26 min: The USA’s line-out has functioned well and Jarrell hauls down another one. Duck puts in a monster hit but soon strays off side as she searches for quick line speed. This time Hawkins finds touch inside the Wallaroos turf. This line-out doesn’t work but it still lands in Sagapolu’s hands. She feeds it on for Zackary who storms forward, what a run that is from the skipper. They’re now five out. penalty advantage…
24 min: Moleka shows great hands and times her pass for Miller to her left to perfection. They’re working the blindside well until an Australian hand spills it in contact. Bergell box kicks. Australia come back until Maher stoops low to make the turnover on the deck.
23 min: A big bomb of a kick is allowed to bounce by the Wallaroos back three and Zackary tears after it. She can’t get there but that is a sign that the bounce of a ball could be the difference tonight.
Oh, they’re coming back for another look at a Tuinakauvadra tackle earlier in the piece. Seems she’ll get away with it despite it looking high.
It is a penalty but the USA make another mistake, not finding touch with the kick.
22 min: Wood nails a clearing kick after Australia’s scrum provides the platform and gives her space to do so. A great bounce means the ball bobbles out inside the USA’s patch. The Americans have the libne-out but cough up possession. Now Australia are on the charge with Tuinakauvadra carrying with intent. Seven phases go left then back towards the right, inching forwards. Wood delays her pass as she waits for her mates to find their shape. Halse gets her head up and sees open space towards the left wing and puts in a lovely kick for Miller to chase. The ball drifts over Emba’s head but bounces out before Miller can grab it.
19 min: This time Australia’s clearing kick doesn’t find touch and Emba grabs the bouncing ball and runs it back. The Eagles keep the ball until Bargell tries an audacious pop pass back inside from the base of a ruck and finds nothing but air. It’s so rushed. Not sure why. They’re bossing the point of contact and playing some neat rugby. They just need to show a bit more patience. Easy to say from here, to be fair.
16 min: Australia’s scrum, like their scramble defence, is holding. It gives Moleka a platform to set her clearing kick from inside her 22. She gets a good piece of it but the wind spirals it out shorter than she was aiming. USA win the line-out off the top and attack through their midfield. Maher again with a carry. Sharp joins from fullback. Emba has it on the right win but is bundled out of touch after a double tackle with Miller playing the lead role. The Australian defence really has been impressive.
15 min: Australia win the scrum and carry away with Smith. But Maher makes an incredible steal after making the tackle and the USA have the ball back inside Australia’s 22. They panic and rush things, yet again spilling the ball. How many times are they going to blow opportunities?
13 min: Australia’s exit play is slick with Halse thumping a clearing kick from her own 22 and putting it out 25 metres up field. The USA’s line-out is just as slick as they go off the top and crash through midfield with Maher. Bargell picks and snipes around the fringe. They’re into the 22. Prop Sagapolu carries. So does no. 8 Johnson. Over 10 phases now and they’re 10 metres short. But yet again it’s so sloppy. A nothing pass to no-one is spilled forward and that is a huge let-off for the Aussies. The Eagles are currently their own worst enemies.
10 min: The scrum was good and Henrich and Tafuna both had stiff carries. But the skipper, Zackary, drops the ball under no pressure, taking her eyes off it at the crucial moment. Soft possession switch there. Australia have the scrum on their own 22.
9 min: Moleka drops the restart. USA will have the scrum just beyond Australia’s 22. They need to strike back.
TRY! USA 0-7 Australia (Miller, 8)
They get it wide and score! After hammering the line with close carries for more than 10 phases, Wood, with a penalty advantage, decided to send it wide. The final pass from Moleka was swift and Miller, with pace to burn, found the edge and the corner. The conversion from out wide is good and the Aussies are up and running.
8 min: Australia set the maul but that falters so Wood spirals it wide. They go through eight phases. Nine. They’re a metre short with a penalty advantage. All short carries. Right under the poles…
5 min: America’s scrum struggled against England but they resist a second shove from Australia. Maher has her first carry and gets over the gainline. Then they kick but there are chasers who strayed beyond the kicker. So Australia get a penalty. Soft from the Eagles. halse thumps it out to set up a Walleroo line-out about 10 out.
3 min: America keep the ball as chants of ‘USA, USA’ ring out. But another skew kick lands in Miller’s pouch and the Aussie winger is carrying hard. Australia are up to the 22. They manage to get the ball back from a maul that had formed but spill the ball. This already has all the makings of a physical classic. Scrum to the Eagles.
2 min: America kick off. Naden carries it up for the Wallaroos. Emba has it back for the USA and she skews a kick out. Australian ball but the linbe-out is over thrown.
Righto, here we go!
it’s anthem time. Two chest-thumpers. The Aussies belt theirs out first before the Yanks get a go. I’m not sure the music was perfectly aligned on either as it seemed the players were out of synch. They’re full of smiles though.
The Beeb has just switched to York where a blustery breeze is blowing scarves and flags.
It’s starts and stripes and starts and Union Jacks.
A reminder that a win here would see Australia go through to the quarters. If the USA win they’ll have their destiny in their own hands.
It’s a sellout at the Community Stadium. We’ve had a series of blowouts and one-sided games. I’m expecting this to be the first genuinely close contest of the World Cup. That is, if both teams deliver.
For those just joining us, England crushed Samoa 92-3 in Northampton.
Here’s Sarah Rendell’s report:
USA team
Now or never for the Eagles. Defeat would see them crash out and take the most marketable rugby player on the planet with them.
There are nine changes to the team that was swatted aside by England last Friday as head coach Sione Fukofuka has rolled the dice for this must-win clash.
There’s no room for sentiment as three-time Olympian Alev Kelter has been dropped. Elsewhere wingers Cheta Emba and Erica Coulibaly will have to step up and deal with Australia’s lightening edges.
There is plenty of pressure on Emily Henrich’s shoulders but the 25-year-old showed last week she is more than capable of handling it. Strong in defence and full of power, she and Ilona Maher will provide plenty of questions for Australia’s midfield. Expect straight running and big collisions.
USA: Sharp; Emba, Maher, Henrich, Coulibaly, Hawkins, Bargell; Rogers, Treder, Sagapolu, Taufoou, Jarrell-Searcey, Tafuna, Zackary (c), Johnson.
Replacements: Stathopoulos, Leatherman, Jacoby, Ehrecke, Brody, Ortiz, Cantorna, Ibarra.
Australia team
For Australia, it is all about getting the job done.
Winger Desiree Miller already has three RWC 2025 tries to her name and will be one to watch, while co-captains Emily Chancellor and Kaitlin Leaney continue in the absence of injured Siokapesi Palu.
Second-row Michaela Leonard is set to win her 40th cap – just the third Wallaroo to reach such a mark. A formidable athlete and a former skipper, Leonard will be out to stamp her authority on this momentous fixture.
“The focus is about us, we’ve done a lot coming into this competition around our try lines and try line defence and generally our collision dominance,” said their coach, Jo Yapp.
Australia: Halse; Stewart, Friedrichs, Smith, Miller, Moleka, Wood; Pohiva, Nadem O’Gorman, Leaney (c), Leonard, Duck, Chancellor, Tuinakauvadra.
Replacements: Amosa, Kavoa, Karpini, Codey, Marsters, Morgan, Pomare, Hinds.
Australia are flying under the radar this World Cup and are still a very outside bet at winning the thing.
But they’re a team on the rise. Don’t be surprised if they do something special this evening.
Are mismatches bad for the game? Not according to those in charge:
England have just thumped Samoa. I reckon this will be much, much tighter
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
The equation is simple for the USA. Win and they live to fight another day. Lose and the inaugural winners of the World Cup will be out of the competition.
“This is the game of the round,” says our man Aaron Bower. I fully agree. The World Cup has had everything apart from jeopardy and close games. This one promises both.
The Wallaroos are a team on the rise. Quarterfinalists three years ago, they’ve benefited from an influx of sevens stars and increased attention and funding. Their most recent game against the Eagles ended with a 27-19 victory in the Pacific Four Series in May and they’ll be full of confidence after thrashing Samoa in an 11-try, 73-0 rout.
Does that make them favourites? Not accordinng to Alivia Leatherman, the USA’s prop who told reporters this week, “We should win,” adding, “we have everything we need” to get the result.
I love it. I want a bit of needle and a bit of chest thumping in the sport I consume and there’ll be plenty of that, I’m sure of it.
Australia’s coach Jo Yapp has said she’s not interested in her team playing “pretty” rugby. All she cares about is the win.
That sort of do-or-die attitude is what makes World Cups the unmissable showstoppers that they are. I can’t wait for this one!
Team news, some quality reading and other bits and bobs to follow.
Kick off is at 7.30pm BST/4.30am AEST/2.30pm EDT.
Wherever you are in the world I’d love to hear from you.
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