Australia Slams USA in Pacific Four Women's Test Match
Australia Slams USA in Pacific Four Women's Test Match
Australia put the USA to the sword 58-17 in the women's Pacific Four Series test match in Ottawa.
The Wallaroos controlled field position from the get-go and were able to convert that pressure into points, leading from post-to-post. Australia camped out in USA territory for the first six or seven minutes and on a very wide pitch made it difficult for the Eagles to kick clear. The Eagle defense was solid and debutante flanker Frede Tafuna was a force throughout, making massive tackles and powering to the gain line when she carried.
The Eagles did get an early chance to turn the tables but off a lineout near midfield Aussie flanker Ashley Marsters intercepted the pass from scrumhalf Taina Tukuafu and seemed to be gone for a try. But captain Kate Zackary tracked down Marsters and prefented a try. The damage was done, however, as back on the front foot were the Wallaroos, and after a penalty and lineout they expertly mauled it over for a try.
They did exactly the same thing after a scrum penalty at midfield, and quickly it was 14-0.
The Eagles did finally get a long period of possession that they did not kick away and scored. Some good runs from Evelyn Ashenbrucker and Tafuna, with Zackary always there to help, and finally Ashenbrucker was over to make it 12-5.
That was the closes the USA got. The Wallaroos started to move the ball and play a little more adventurously with it and put prop Evan Karpani through off a nifty offload. The Aussies seemed to be having fun and were taking passes at pace. The USA was more static, more careful, and definitely looked like a team just getting the pieces put together.
By 50 minutes it was 34-5.
We won't go too in-depth with the scoring after that. Jennine Detiveaux scored two nicely-taken tries, but Australia was too together, too polished, too good.
Was this a bad performance from the USA? It wasn't a good one, but it wasn't a comedy of errors, either. Australia, with two tries from Karpani and also two from Maya Stewart, played their best game ever against the USA. They were dynamic, cohesive, and dominated the scrum. The USA featured a lineup full of new caps and with players in new positions and they seemed ... hesitant.
Clearly they missed Hope Rogers, and that's not a surprise. Clearly they didn't have an answer for some of Australia's more negative play in the rucks that succeeded in slowing ball down. But there's more to it than that. There's a standard of play, of effort. At times the Eagles showed flashes of what they could do on attack and on defense. But Kate Zackary's work rate, intensity in contact, and speed in supporting her teammates was far, far better than those of most of her countrywomen. That should be the standard. Some, like Rachel Johnson and Tafuna, came close. But they can't win against strong teams by relying on some players to do the work of two.
Zackary, for her part, said the team worked hard but they learned a lot, and, with so many young players there is a lot of learning to do.
“Some hard moments, but also the biggest growing moments.”
— USA Rugby (@USARugby) July 9, 2023
Captain @katezack28 post match
: @FloRugby pic.twitter.com/ZcSbLCwyFV
With this loss, the USA is almost guaranteed to be in Tier 2 of the WXV competition. This is not a terrible thing because this is where the Eagles need to be in order to build back to where they can be. Tier 2 will be in South Africa in October and will include South Africa, Scotland, Samoa, Japan, and the winner of Italy vs Spain from July 22. Being tracked to that group could be a chance for this young and rebuilding team to find its feet.
USA 17
Tries: Detiveaux 2, Ashenbrucker
Convs: Hawkins
Australia 58
Tries: Hamilton, Stewart 2, Karpani 2, Friedrichs, Wong, Talakai
Convs: Smith 4
Pens: Smith
USA
1. Catie Benson 2. Kathryn Treder 3. Keia Mae Sagapolu 4. Evelyn Ashenbrucker (VC) 5. Hallie Taufoou 6. Paluvava’u Freda Tafuna 7. Georgie Perris-Redding 8. Rachel Johnson 9. Taina Tukuafu 10. McKenzie Hawkins 11. Lotte Clapp 12. Eti Haungatau 13. Kate Zackary (C) 14. Jennine Detiveaux 15. Tess Feury
Reserves: 16. Jett Hayward 17. Charli Jacoby 18. Mona Tupou 19. Rachel Ehrecke 20. Tahlia Brody 21. Carly Waters 22. Joanne Fa’avesi 23. Meya Bizer
Australia
1. Bree-Anna Cheatham 2. Adiana Talakai 3. Eva Karpani 4. Michaela Leonard (C) 5. Kaitlan Leaney 6. Ashley Marsters7. Emily Chancellor 8. Grace Hamilton 9. Layne Morgan 10. Arabella McKenzie 11. Ivania Wong 12. Cecilia Smith 13. Georgina Friedrichs 14. Maya Stewart 15. Lori Cramer
Reserves: 16. Tania Nayden 17. Emily Robinson 18. Bridie O'Gorman 19. Sera Naiqama 20. Tabua Tuinakauvadra 21. Jasmine Hurwai 22. Trilleen Pomare 23. Alana Elisaia
