BRIGHTON — England closed out the 2025 Ladies’s World Cup pool levels with a 47-7 win over Australia however had been made to work for his or her eventual bonus level victory.
The win means the Crimson Roses will face Scotland within the quarterfinals whereas the margin of defeat additionally sees Australia safely via, the place they will play Canada. Australia’s development sees the USA bow out of the World Cup with a win, a draw and a defeat to their identify.
For England, who’re overwhelming favourites to win the entire event, this was their first correct check within the World Cup the place Australia matched their physicality within the first half, prompted the Crimson Roses all kinds of bother and compelled some uncharacteristic errors. However ultimately England got here via with a unbelievable efficiency within the second half, the place they ended up scoring seven tries general in entrance of 30,443 spectators.
However the win got here at a value and England will monitor the health of two key gamers within the coming days. Free-head Hannah Botterman was compelled off with an acute again spasm within the first half, whereas Ellie Kildunne sustained a knock to the top within the second half.
Australia headed into this match realizing a single level could be sufficient to ebook their place within the knockouts. And with a factors distinction of 74 greater than the USA, it could’ve taken an enormous loss to have reduce quick their event.
And regardless of their underdog tag, Australia flew out of the blocks and turned an England lineout within the opening levels, after which scored the primary attempt of the match as hooker Faitala Moleka drove over a rolling lineout. It was the primary time England have been behind on this event. England responded instantly via Jess Breach – scoring on her fiftieth cap – however the Crimson Roses appeared sloppy. They made a sequence of errors, Ellie Kildunne’s normally immaculate dealing with letting her down, whereas there have been additionally two ahead passes, they usually additionally coughed up a scrum penalty. It is not the form of factor we have come to anticipate from essentially the most dominant aspect on the earth at current.
Australia’s sensible kicking sport – forcing two 50:22s within the first half – pinned England again they usually received over England’s tryline once more after 16 minutes, just for it to be deemed as held up. England thought they scored their second after 20 minutes, just for a delayed TMO intervention to point out Amy Cokayne had knocked on and Australia continued to frustrate them. England discovered extra rhythm because the half went on with Abby Ward and Sadia Kabeya each scoring, however nonetheless, for 20 minutes, they got a stern check by the Wallaroos.
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The second half performed extra to script. England began it with much more depth and quick-thinking from Natasha Hunt after an Australian error of their 22 noticed Kabeya go over within the nook to safe the bonus level.
Australia’s No.10 Faitala Moleka was proven a yellow for head-to-head contact and England profited instantly from the additional participant, scoring off the ensuing penalty with yet one more driving maul, and highly effective ahead play with Kelsey Clifford scoring. With each Kildunne and Morwenna Talling off with head knocks, England nonetheless saved their foot on the throttle, with Clifford once more diving over from shut vary. Sarah Bern added one other, however simply six minutes later, she was sin-binned for a shoulder to the top.
England continued pulling and prodding away on the Australia defence, however a mix of resolute Wallaroos defence, and a few dodgy passing noticed the ultimate quarter-hour return zero factors. Australia will now face Canada in Bristol on Sept. 13 with England taking part in Scotland on Sept. 14.
