WALLAROOS WIN THROUGH TO WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS

The Wallaroos have booked their first ever finals appearance at a Women’s Rugby World Cup following an emphatic 62-0 victory over South Africa at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
 
Australia secured their necessary four-try bonus point within 30 minutes and piled on nine tries to give themselves the best chance of qualifying for the semi-finals as the best performing runner-up across the tournament’s three pools.
 
Centre Sharni Williams’s second try of the match - scored deep into injury time during the final play of the game - lifted the Wallaroos past the 56 points required to knock Canada out of the race to the last four on a superior for-and-against record.
 
Coach John Manenti and his squad then had a nervous wait on the outcome of the match between hosts England and the USA to ensure they would finish as the fourth seed and book a place in the WRWC semi-finals.
 
The Wallaroos will now play England on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST) at Twickenham Stoop.
 
Manenti said he’s pleased the Wallaroos continue to improve with every game.
 
“The important thing is that we learnt from our loss to New Zealand and we were able to make adjustments to our game,” Manenti said.
 
“We finished seventh at the last World Cup and it’s been a big goal of ours to lift Australia’s world ranking and we’re well on our way to achieving that.”
 
Winger Kristy Giteau gave Australia the best possible start when she swooped on a great ball from skipper Cheryl Soon to touch down in the corner in the fifth minute.
 
The ever-reliable Nicole Beck made no mistake when she slotted over the conversion from the sideline and the winger went on to amass a personal tally of 17 points in a match where every point inched Australia closer to the Cup semi-finals. 
 
Prop Lindsay Morgan scored either side of the break to record a double, fullback Tricia Brown and star No.8 Debby Hodgkinson also found the tryline and centre Cobie-Jane Morgan pierced the South African defence late in the second half to add another five points to the Wallaroos tally.

watch match video highlights here
 
Australia 62 (Kristy Giteau, Tricia Brown, Debby Hodgkinson, Lindsay Morgan 2, Sharni Williams 2, Cobie-Jane Morgan tries; Nicole Beck 7 cons, 1 pen) bt South Africa 0 at Surrey Sports Park, Guilford.