Photos: INPHO / James Crombie for World Rugby
* UPDATE (1:35 p.m. Pacific): France defeated Ireland 21-5, and thus the USA advances to the semifinals.
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England defeated the USA 47-26 in the teams’ final Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) pool game. The Red Roses advance directly to the semifinals as winner of Pool B, and the Eagles await the decision of France vs. Ireland to know their fate.
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England controlled the first half and took a 33-7 lead into the break. The Red Roses’ tries were all set up in similar fashion: The USA committed a penalty, England flyhalf Katy Mclean kicked for touch, an unerring lineout followed and mauled to the try line for a forward to dot down. A version of such occurred at the 10-minute mark, when England turned over the USA’s scrum on the Eagles’ five meter. Mclean set up the five-meter lineout and it appeared that the USA halted the drive. But as the ball moved away, the referee indicated advantage for pulling down the maul, and a repeat offense would later result in a penalty try.
But the penalty wasn’t needed for the game-opening score, and Mclean kicked through the line with Emily Scarratt on the chase. She beat Cheta Emba to the ball for the dot-down and conversion.
Mclean worked the territorial kicking game masterfully in the first half, and it helped that the USA lineout struggled – throw-ins not straight or overthrown, ball batted out of the air and not to hand. When hooker Amy Cokayne picked off a lineout and then put Sarah Bern down the sideline, it helped set up that first try.
Another stolen lineout and a misplayed kick resulted in a driving England lineout inside the USA 22 meter. The maul was pulled down, Katy Augustyn was yellow-carded, and England was awarded the penalty try, 14-0.
The USA scrums were under pressure, too, and a knock at the back of the set piece handed possession back to England. A penalty followed and ignited the pattern of touch-lineout-maul-try. Flanker Marlie Packer dotted down the first of her two tries, which came in succession and in similar fashion. With Scarratt’s conversions, England led 28-0 after 27 minutes.
The USA’s first-half score began when a Mclean kick didn’t find touch and Naya Tapper fielded it well. Good phases followed and Kristen Thomas was eventually held up in the try zone. From a quickly retreating scrum, Alycia Washington scooped up the ball and got close to the try line. A couple of forward picks at the line eventually saw flanker Kate Zackary find some green for the try. Alev Kelter converted for the 28-7 scoreline.
England ended the half with one more try, as Abbie Scott ripped the ball out of Thomas’ hands and the USA misplayed Scarratt’s kick down the sideline. Mclean spied a gap after the subsequent and hit it quickly for the try, 33-7.
The defending world champions did not ease off after the break, and two tries came quickly. Scott dummied past the defense in tight and quick phases produced an overload for wing Amy Wilson Hardy to score easily. And then Cokayne got her try through the tried-and-true driving maul, 47-7.
And this is where the Americans’ story really begins, at the 50-minute mark. In the previous two matches, the Eagles have done well to take their mistakes from the first half and successfully address them in the second. The Eagles won the second-half attack and kept England off the scoreboard for 30 minutes.
England knocked on the restart, and the USA stabilized its scrum at the England 22 meter. Kelter and reserve prop Hope Rogers made gains, and then Tapper took the ball in traffic. The wing popped to her feet after three successive tackles, closing in on the England try line and drawing panic from the defense. On the final surge, Cheta Emba picked from the base for the dive-over, 47-12.
The USA’s territorial game started to work better and the possession began to favor the Americans. No. 8 Jordan Gray had another great game, blocking kicks and getting her hands on the ball for not-releasing penalties. One allowed Emba to kick near England’s 22 meter for a lineout. The set piece was messy and the ball hit the ground, but Gray salvaged it and got the pass off to Kimber Rozier. Tapper circled around the flyhalf, broke one tackle and then stepped around fullback Danielle Waterman for the try, 47-19 with the Kelter conversion.
England then started committing too many penalties, drawing warnings from referee Joy Neville. The next 20 minutes evolved without a score. Subs were getting valuable field time – including Nick James, who earned her first cap; England flanker Alex Matthews was named Aon Player of the Match; and conversations were moving toward semifinal scenarios.
Then in injury time, the USA was moving the ball around mid-field and then replacement scrumhalf Kayla Canett peeled wide off the ruck. She hit Kristen Thomas back inside to put the flyer into space, and the wing beat everyone to the try zone. Rozier’s conversion made it 47-26, but more importantly, the try meant a bonus point, aiding the USA’s bid for the semifinals. If France beats Ireland, then the USA is in. If Ireland beats France, and Les Bleus don’t earn a bonus point, then the USA is in.