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Key events5m agoFull-time: England 47-7 Australia17m agoYellow card! England (Bern, 71)23m agoTRY! England 47-7 Australia (Bern, 65)31m agoTRY! England 40-7 Australia (Clifford, 59)39m agoTRY! England 33-7 Australia (Clifford, 53)41m agoYellow card! Australia (Maleka, 53)54m agoTRY! England 26-7 Australia (Kabeya, 45)1h agoHalf-time: England 19-7 Australia1h agoTRY! England 19-7 Australia (Kabeya, 39)1h agoTRY! England 12-7 Australia (Ward, 33)2h agoNO TRY! England 5-7 Australia (Cokayne, 21)2h agoTRY! England 5-7 Australia (Breach, 8)2h agoTRY! England 0-7 Australia (Talakai, 6)3h agoAustralia team3h agoEngland team3h agoPreambleShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureRuby Tui, speaking for the BBC post match, called that an “incredible” match.It wasn’t. It really wasn’t.And I know that Ruby is a gem, that her vibe is always upbeat, and that slagging off players is an ugly look. But can we be real?England have played plenty of incredible games. The Australia v USA and the Italy v South Africa games were incredible.Do we have to big up every match in this tournament? Is that not condescending? Am I just a grumpy git?All opinions welcome.While we ponder that and more, let’s have some reaction from the players.ShareFull-time: England 47-7 AustraliaThat’ll be that. Australia have seen enough and kick it out after winning a scrum late in the piece.They’ve done enough to reach the last eight. England top the group but they really need a proper 80 minute performance. Sterner tests await.The Aussies gave it their best shot but couldn’t match the accuracy and power of the English.Not a classic, but one with plenty to chew on.Players react on the final whistle. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesShareUpdated at 19.04 BST79 min: Australia intercept. England steal the ball back. Been one of those games. Hardly any fluency. England are searching for another try. Harrison shows some slick hands, catching on her laces and off-loading. Down down the right. She’s had a great game. Matthews finds Ives Campion on the angle. Into the 22. Harrison has numbers out to the left, spirals a long pass for Feaunati, but the replacement loosie can’t hold on and drops it close to her ankles.ShareUpdated at 18.57 BST77 min: Australia survive inches from their own line. After giving away an off-side penalty, they saw England win the line-out and then make ground through cohesive play. Rowland has had a handy cameo and was involved again, playing a tasty inside pass. But the Aussies waited for their moment and swamped the ball carrier to win the penalty on the ground. A big kick from Halse will set the line-out beyond the 22.Share74 min: Australia really haven’t helped themselves. Another giveaway at the line-out has England on the ball once again. Ooh, but that’s a great turnover. But England are screaming back at them with Rowland on the counter run. Things are really frazzled out there but the English keeo the ball. A lovely pass finds Breach and she’s on her bike down the right. But, you guessed it, there’s a knock on in midfield.Share72 min: Ah, Australia can’t make it work from the line-out in England’s 22. In the blink of an eye they’re chucking possession away and the English are tearing down their right wing after pinching the set-piece.. A kick ahead from Breach, after finding space, bobbles out of touch. Did that take an Aussie hand on the way out? Nope, Australia’s ball inside their own half.ShareYellow card! England (Bern, 71)All you can ask for from referees is consistency. Maleka was yellow carded. So is Bern for a similar high shot. Shoulder to head. England must see this out with 14 players.Share71 min: Australia should have enough in the bank to see this out. They’ll stay on the ball thanks to a high shot from Bern, who could be in trouble. That looked dangerous.Share69 min: Australia are not going down without a fight. They get lucky from the restart and bag a soft penalty. From the line-out they come close, inches in fact, but the English force them back. So Australia recycle, left then back towards the right where Stewart has space to put the afterburners on. She’s darting for the corner but is chopped in half by Rowland on the cover and shoved out of touch. Nine phases but no dice for the Aussies.ShareUpdated at 18.46 BSTTRY! England 47-7 Australia (Bern, 65)Australia’s margin for error is getting smaller and smaller! They can afford to lose by 76 and still make the quarters. They now trail by 40 after Bern kept the move alive down the right following a burst from Dow. Bern picked up, pinned her ears back and darted for the line. She was cut down just short, but was able to reach out and score. Harrison has her radar after losing it earlier in the piece. This is a well taken conversion on the angle on the right.Joy for the England players and fans as Sarah Bern (obscured) goes over for the host’s seventh try of the game. Photograph: Ben Whitley/PAShareUpdated at 18.45 BST65 min: England’s tenacity at the breakdown sees them with a penalty. The then secure the line-out but can;t sticth the move together as they then return the favour, failing to keep the ball on the floor. This is a case of two teams making loads of mistakes. The theme continues as Australia chuck the ball away at the line-out so they’re now back inside their 22 with Dow almost scoring down the right touch.Share63 min: England give away possession at the line-out. They’ve not been perfect, that’s for sure. Australia are running ewith intent but can’t breach the blue wall. A raft of changes for both teams, including Aitchison on for Heard and Packer on for Hunt.Share61 min: Australia are creaking now. They’ve overshot a line-out and then given away another penalty from the resulting scrum. This one for not binding correcvtly. Harrison punts the ball out upfield.ShareTRY! England 40-7 Australia (Clifford, 59)Sneaky sneaky from the prop! England opted to tap and go from the penalty. Hunt shifted it right for Clifford who hit the ball at pace. She had two tacklers for company and seemed to be held short of the linbe, but she wriggled her body, freed her hands and managed to dot down beneath the morass of humanity. Lovely work. The conversion from bang in front is good.Share58 min: England go to the back of the line-out where Ward makes the grab. They maul from there and eat up 10 metres, taking them to within touching distance of the line. Australia rally and swamp the ball carrier at the back, preventing the ball from being released and they come away with possession. That’s wonderful defence from the Australians. Though they now need to win the scrum. They can’t. Another enormous scrum from England wins the ball back just five metres short of the Aussie line.Share55 min: England are looking sharp now. A swift attack down the left with Heard running a lovely loop round the back has Dow in some space. She gets through the gears and in a flash England have made around 40 metres. But they spill it after doing well to recycle under pressure.Some good, some bad. That’s been the story of the day. Australia have the scrum feed inside the Wallaroos’ patch. The English scrum consumes the Aussies and they eke another penalty.ShareTRY! England 33-7 Australia (Clifford, 53)England have their fifth! The previous try wasn’t given but its immaterial. From the line-out, England keep their shape after the initial splinter. They snake towards the poles where Clifford, with the help of extra bodies behind her, powered over. The simple conversion is made from bang in front.Kelsey Clifford (she’s in there somewhere) goes over to score England’s fifth try. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PAShareUpdated at 18.43 BSTYellow card! Australia (Maleka, 53)No doubt about that one. Maleka was high a she went to make the hit on Muir. She has to go off and that might get upgraded to red.Share53 min: England have dotted the ball down but they’re checking to see if the try is legit. Or are they checking for a head on head? Either way the try hasn’t been given yet.Share53 min: Maleka and Rowland trade kicks. Dow grabs hold of one and opts to run it back. And why not! What a superb run that is, beating tacklers, chewing up metres until she’s cut down on Australia’s 22. The English come flooding forward and an Aussie strays off-side. Harrison hoofs the penalty out for a line-out about 15 out.Share50 min: England’s scrum wins a penalty. Just pure power. The line-out inside Aussie territory is clean. They’re on the ball, working through the hands before a forward pass kills momentum. Another mistake under no pressure.Share48 min: Australia get the scrum penalty after Muir is called for hinging. The subsequent line-out is messy from the Aussies but they manage to secure the ball. Maleka attempts a flat grubber. There’s a knock-on from an England hand so we have an Aussie scrum, 10 metres further upfield than where the last one was and close to the middle of the park.Share46 min: Australia’s skipper Palu is subbed for Tuinakauvadra. The Wallaroos get a scrum after Kildunne tries to keep a move alive with a pass off the deck. In fact, Kildunne copped a blow to the head as she did so. She doesn’t look in good shape. A little wobbly. She’s replaced by Rowland who will slot in at fullback.After a long break we’ll have the Aussie scrum on halfway all the way on their left.ShareTRY! England 26-7 Australia (Kabeya, 45)Australia shoot themselves in the foot! After Kildunne’s quick line out gave the Aussies a let-off, a terrible pass to Maleka from the base of a ruck is spilled and Kabeya pounces on the mistake to score a gimme. Harrison lands the extras from the right.Sadia Kabeya goes over for the second time in the match and extends England’s lead. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/ReutersShareUpdated at 18.28 BST44 min: Kildunne lands a 50/22 and sprints towards the ball and flings the quick line-out. Not sure why she was rushing but they keep the ball…Share43 min: Ward rises high and steals Australia’s line-out. Harrison drops in the pocket to launch a clearing klick but is charged down by the onrushing Duck. The ball bounces and has a few Aussies interested, but it bobbles out. Harrison now has a chance to clear with a 22 drop-out.Share41 min: Early penalty in this second half for Australia, straight from the restart after they let it bounce. Halse banana kicks it out for a line-out.ShareThe players are back out. I expect England to up the ante. Can Australia match them? We’ll find out together.ShareI knew my comment about the anthems would come back to bite me.Ken McMahon has rightly called me out:
Daniel, back in 1876 we had the same anthem! The current aussie anthem has only been blasting from Stadium speakers for about 41 years. In fact, the latest tweak to the text was made only 3 years ago….
ShareNice to see England’s Jamie George on the Beeb.He says it’s “unbelievable” seeing the vibe in the ground.Why’s it always “unbelievable” with elite athletes?I’m being unkind. It really is great hearing from the former men’s skipper who has an interesting perspective on a home World Cup.He says that the men’s team hid away in Pennyhill Park without properly engaging with the public. He says that the women’s side is not making that mistake, creating an atmosphere wherever they go.ShareBeau Dure, a desperate America fan, has written in:“US rugby supporters would like to inform the English team that we’re not all bad people. If they could play the way they played in the first two games here, that’d be greatly appreciated.”So far, not so good as far as the USA’s chances are concerned. But if England can find an extra gear things might get interesting.ShareHalf-time: England 19-7 AustraliaAn England counter attack from Kildunne isn’t maintained and Australia kick it out to bring the half to a close.Hardly a blockbuster. Australia have given as good as they’ve got. England have been well below par but such is their dominance that they’ve scored three tries while playing in second gear.Australia faded as the half went on and this could get messy unless they can turn the tide.A short break, we’ll be back in a bit.ShareTRY! England 19-7 Australia (Kabeya, 39)They’re over! Water is wet, England score a rolling maul try. I thought they were fortunate to get the initial penalty from Australia’s scrum. But there was no luck involved from the line-out maul that set itself very quickly and then powered over with Kabeya wrestling it down. Harrison’s extras make the score look far more comfortable than the flow of the game suggests.Share38 min: England win a scrum penalty. I thought that looked like an early shove from the English, but apparently not. Australia then give another penalty for not retreating 10 metres. Harrison kicks it out and they will sure score from here…Share37 min: England make ground off the line-out. They’re showing some slick hands until they don’t. Another knock on under contact gives away soft possession around Australia’s 22.Share35 min: Steward hammers Jones in midfield with a mighty carry. The Aussies are building through the phases but can’t make ground. So Maleka gets her head up, spots some space in the backfield and lands her second 50/22 of the game. Wonderful kicking. Australia get the line-out towards the right. They win the ball but England snaffle the ball carrier from the line-out and win a penalty on the ground. Harrison slams a clearing penalty kick out past halfway.Share
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