WXV Round 3 Re-Cap: England, Australia & Spain Crowned Champions
Rugby NewsTuesday, 15 October 2024 at 11:46
The 2024 WXV global tournament is in the record books, with England, Australia and Spain crowned champions of their respective tiered divisions. The Red Roses are now the only team in the world to have won back-to-back WXV crowns, following on from their inaugural title triumph last year in New Zealand.
Below we have compiled a full re-cap of the final weekend of this year's WXV, beginning with The victories in Vancouver, as the Red Roses took home the trophy.
WXV1
USA 14-26 IRELAND
USA prop Hope Rogers celebrated her 50th cap in style, as she scored the opening try of the match midway through the first half. McKenzie Hawkins converted but Ireland levelled within 10 minutes through flanker Erin King, going over after a quick tap and Nicole Fowley adding the extras. USA restored their lead on the stroke of half-time as Rogers grounded her second from close range. Hawkins added the conversion to send the Women’s Eagles into half-time 14-7 in front.
Ireland were awarded a penalty try in the 64th minute, Tahlia Brody being shown a yellow card in the process, to level the scores once again. USA then went down to 13 players with just under 10 minutes to go. Cliodhna Moloney's try followed, as Ireland were in front for the first time. Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe added the fourth Irish try, to make sure of victory and condemn USA to sixth place. Shortly after, Rachel Johnson was sent to the sin bin and the USA ended the match with 13 players.
NEW ZEALAND 39-14 FRANCE
The Black Ferns started the match winless in WXV, and with only one victory in six years against France. However, it took just eight minutes for the New Zealand lead, as Ayesha Leti-I’iga powered her way over the whitewash. The Black Ferns New Zealand doubled their advantage as Katelyn Vaha'akolo scored the first of her three tries. France cut their deficit to just three points in the 18th minute, through Emeline Gros' try.
Alana Bremner went over for the third New Zealand try midway through the first half, but France co-captain Manaé Feleu went over, and Queyroi added the extras to make the score 15-14. Vahaakolo’s brilliant second try on the stroke of half-time gave the Black Ferns breathing space and then two tries within 10 minutes of the restart took the game away from Les Bleues. Vahaakolo completed her hat-trick in the 44th minute, before Kaipo Olsen-Baker went over five minutes later.
Hannah King found her range from the kicking tee to convert both and extend the Black Ferns’ lead to 20 points. With France speedster Séraphine Okemba in the sin bin, Tanya Kalounivale added a seventh try in the 57th minute.
CANADA 12-21 ENGLAND
England fell behind early on, as Justine Pelletier found a way over the line following some phase play from her forwards. The Red Roses took the lead less than five minutes later. Number eight Alex Matthews punched her way forward, and as the ball was recycled, tight-head prop Maud Muir burrowed over the line and twisted to score. Helena Rowland converted and that is the way the score remained at half-time.
The defending champions were reduced to 14 players just four minutes into the second half, as Ellie Kildunne was shown a yellow card. Canada eventually took advantage in the 51st minute as a fine team move created the space for Tessier to slide over, and the captain converted her own try. England wing Bo Westcombe-Evans was then sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on.
It was the Red Roses who scored next, as Sarah Bern battled over from close range, before Rowland added the conversion to edge her side back in front. Player of the Match Zoe Aldcroft went over in the final play, and Rowland added her third conversion to deny the hosts a losing bonus point.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 2
WXV2
WALES 19-10 JAPAN
The losers of the opening match were guaranteed to finish bottom of WXV2, and Wales were in no mood to suffer that fate. Nel Metcalfe charged down Misaki Matsumura’s attempted clearance before racing onto the loose ball to score in the left corner. Wales stretched their lead as slick handling from Alisha Butchers and Bethan Lewis released the scrum-half Keira Bevan, who raced away and under the posts.
The score remained 12-0 at the break, before Jasmine Joyce displayed her lightning pace to give Wales a commanding lead. Joyce intercepted Japan number eight Seina Sato's pass, and raced almost the length of the pitch to score. Japan fought back, twice crossing the whitewash through Matsumura and Ayasa Otsuka. Crucially, though, Otsuka missed both conversions.
SOUTH AFRICA 19-23 ITALY
South Africa needed a bonus point win to claim the WXV2 title and started strong. Babalwa Latsha powered over from close range, but the Springbok Women then lost Chumisa Qawe to a yellow card, and Italy capitalised as Silvia Turani burrowed over. Italy appeared to take a stranglehold on the contest with two tries at the end of the first half, through Michele Sillari and Turani added her second.
Sillari's conversion gave Italy a 17-7 advantage at the break, but the Springbok Women started the second half on fire, and cut the deficit when replacement back-row Aseza Hele touched down. Ayanda Malinga then finished off a fine team move in the left corner, but just as it looked like momentum was swinging South Africa’s way, the Springbok Women were again reduced to 14 players as Unam Tose received a yellow card. Beatrice Rigoni subsequently struck the first of the two Italian penalties, that secured a hard-fought victory for the Azzurre.
AUSTRALIA 31-22 SCOTLAND
Australia needed to avoid defeat to finish their first WXV2 campaign as champions, and they started the decider at breakneck speed, building a 21-0 lead midway through the first half as Desiree Miller, Maya Stewart and Cecilia Smith all scored. However, Leah Bartlett burrowed over just before the half-hour mark to get Scotland on the scoreboard and after Siokapesi Palu was sent to the sin bin, Chloe Rollie added a second Scottish try.
That made the score 21-12 at the break, and it was the defending champions who struck first in the second half as replacement prop Anne Young went over for Scotland. The Scots were sapped of momentum midway through the second half, as Emma Orr was shown a yellow card that was upgraded to red. Despite the set-backs, it was Scotland who scored next as Francesca McGhie went over after a number of phases to give her side the lead for the first time.
Nelson missed a tough conversion to leave the Scottish lead at one point, before McGhie was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, leaving Scotland with only 13 players. Australia's Moleka kicked a penalty to nudge her side back in front, before Ashley Marsters went over for a winning try from close range in the final play.
WXV3
Spain wrapped up the WXV 3 title and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 qualification with a nail-biting 10-8 victory against Fiji in the United Arab Emirates. Fijiana full-back Luisa Tisolo had a conversion to draw the match with the final, and hand Samoa the WXV3 title, but sliced her attempt wide amid raucous celebrations from the Spaniards. Samoa can console themselves with a ticket to their first Women’s Rugby World Cup since 2014.
SAMOA 46-15 MADAGASCAR
Madagascar went into the match as underdogs against a Manusina team looking to book their ticket to England, but it was the African side that took the lead early on. Claudia Rasoarimalala produced a brilliant finish to score in the left corner with less than four minutes on the clock. Cassie Siataga converted her own try at the other end for Samoa, as she capitalised on a gap to snipe over the line from close range.
Samoa were reduced to 13 players at 20 minutes, with Machiko Silila F Fepuleai and Angelica Uila in the sin bin. However, Siataga stretched Samoa's lead with a penalty, and that advantage increased further before Samoa were back up to 15, as Harmony Vatau went over to score. The rampaging Joanna Fanene Lolo scored Samoa’s third try after they had been restored to a full XV, although Madagascar found a way back into the contest as Tiana Razanamahefa touched down shortly afterwards.
Samoa, though, scored two tries in the opening exchanges of the second half as Denis Aiolupotea and Sydney Niupulusu went over. And after Razanamahefa added a penalty for Madagascar, Samoa crossed the whitewash twice more, in between yellow cards for captain Sui Pauaraisa and Nina Foaese. Lolo and Karla Wright-Akeli dotted down. The latter try was scored while Madagascar themselves had a player, Oliviane Andriatsilavina, in the sin bin.
NETHERLANDS 33-3 HONG KONG CHINA
Netherlands knew their Women’s RWC 2025 dream was over ahead of kick-off, but they put in a brilliant performance to end a bittersweet campaign on a high. Linneke Gevers scored the first try of the match in the 10th minute, before winger Gaya van Nifterik displayed her pace to race away to score. Things got worse for Hong Kong China soon afterwards as Fion Got was shown a yellow card that was later upgraded to red.
Hong Kong China, dug in and reduced their deficit to seven points before half-time, as Zoe Smith struck a penalty through the uprights. But that was as good as it got for the Asian side. Lieve Stallmann kicked two penalties to extend the Dutch lead and after Chan Tsz Ching was sent to the sin bin, Anouk Veerkamp went over for a third try.
Haruka Uematsu became the third Hong Kong China player to be shown a card, and the Dutch took advantage. Lieve Stallmann scored the bonus point-securing fourth try. The full-back converted to take her personal tally to 13 points, before Gevers added further gloss with her second try of the match.
FIJI 8-10 SPAIN
Fiji were unable to claim the title following Samoa’s victory over Madagascar, but they knew they could give their Pacific rivals a helping hand. Fijiana duly opened the scoring midway through the first half, as full-back Luisa Tisolo slotted a penalty. Needing a win to climb above Samoa and finish the tournament as champions, Spain responded by camping out in Fijian territory for much of the rest of the half.
Following two disallowed tries, and with Fijiana second row Aviame Veidreyaki in the sin bin, Spain finally produced a score that counted through Player of the Match Alba Capell. Zahia Perez converted, but those were the only points Spain managed while a player up. The pressure on Spain was palpable, but a late Perez penalty helped to edge them closer to the WXV3 title. It proved a vital kick as Adita Milinia went over for Fijiana with the clock in the red, and Tisolo sliced her conversion wide under pressure.
TRENDING
LATEST NEWS
LATEST COMMENTS
Loading
