England Beat Wales 70-6 and Now Play Australia in Perth for a Women’s World Cup Semi-Final Place
England’s women scored 13 tries against Wales at HBF Park on Saturday, led 40-6 at half-time and finished 70-6. Australia, the holders, had beaten Samoa 40-0 in Sydney the day before. The two meet at the same Perth ground next Saturday, and nrl.com reported that the winner will secure a semi-final place from Pool A.
England 70, Wales 6
Amelia Brown scored in the third minute and later picked up a bouncing ball in her own in-goal and ran 109 metres for her second, which nrl.com called one of the plays of the tournament. Connie Boyd, this year’s Super League player of the year, scored a hat-trick on debut. Anna Davies scored three as well, the last of them with the final play of the match.
Isabel Rowe scored two tries and kicked nine conversions. Her 26 points equalled the record for an English woman in an international. Wales had their own moment: Paige Travis charged onto a Tayla Preston short ball for the nation’s first try at a Women’s World Cup.
Australia 40, Samoa 0
The Jillaroos started their defence at CommBank Stadium with seven tries, five of them before half-time. Jocelyn Kelleher, on debut at five-eighth, kicked six of seven conversions, had a hand in two tries and was named player of the match. Coach Jess Skinner had left Ali Brigginshaw out of the squad, and Kelleher’s game made the decision look sound.
Samoa were playing their first World Cup match since 2008 and had two former Jillaroos in their side. They had the first good spell, with repeat sets on the Australian line, and could not finish it.
The pools and what comes next
| Pool | Teams |
|---|---|
| A | Australia, England, Samoa, Wales |
| B | New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, France, Fiji |
Australia v England is on Saturday 24 October at HBF Park, 5.05pm in Perth and 10.05am in the UK. England then play Samoa in Wollongong, and Australia play Wales in Sydney. The women’s final is at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday 15 November, as a double-header with the men’s.
Australia have won the last three Women’s World Cups after New Zealand won the first three. The Kiwi Ferns start without centre Shanice Parker, ruled out with a calf injury picked up in training.
Every England women’s match is live in the UK on Premier Sports. The full broadcast list is in how to watch the Rugby League World Cup, and England’s men had a harder afternoon at the same ground, losing 30-12 to Tonga.
