England Secures First Place and Will Face Scotland in the Quarterfinals
In a vibrant encounter in Brighton, England demonstrated their power by defeating Australia with a score of 47-7, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Women’s World Cup. Despite the resounding victory, the “Red Roses” had to work hard to achieve the extra point against an Australian team that put up a fight.
The triumph guarantees that England will face Scotland in the next phase, while Australia, despite the defeat, also advances and will face Canada. The United States team, for its part, says goodbye to the tournament with a victory, a draw and a defeat.
England, considered the favorite to win the tournament, faced its first real challenge in the World Cup. Australia matched the physical intensity in the first half, complicating the English team’s game and forcing unusual errors. However, in the second half, England displayed a dominant game, scoring seven tries in front of an audience of 30,443 spectators.
However, the victory came at a cost. England will need to monitor the physical condition of two key players in the coming days. Hannah Botterman, a loosehead prop, had to leave the field due to a back spasm, while Ellie Kildunne suffered a head knock.England, favored to win the Women’s World Cup, defeated Australia 47-7 on Saturday.Australia came into the match knowing that a single point would secure them a place in the knockout stage. Despite being considered the “underdogs”, Australia started strongly, capitalizing on an England lineout and scoring the first try of the match thanks to hooker Faitala Moleka. It was the first time England had been behind in the score in the tournament.
England responded quickly with a try from Jess Breach, in her 50th match, but the team showed some imprecision. They made several mistakes, including handling errors from Ellie Kildunne and forward passes. Australia’s kicking game, which forced two 50:22s in the first half, kept England under pressure. The Australians crossed the try line again, but the try was disallowed.
England found their rhythm as the first half progressed, with tries from Abby Ward and Sadia Kabeya, but Australia pushed them for 20 minutes. The second half was more favorable for England. Natasha Hunt took advantage of an Australian error for Kabeya to score in the corner and secure the extra point.
Faitala Moleka of Australia received a yellow card for contact to the head, and England took advantage of the numerical advantage, scoring after a penalty with a maul. Kelsey Clifford also scored. Despite injuries to Kildunne and Morwenna Talling, England kept up the pace, with Clifford scoring again. Sarah Bern added another try, but was cautioned six minutes later for a neck tackle.
England continued to pressure the Australian defense, but the Wallaroos’ resistance and some imprecise passes prevented more points from being scored in the last 15 minutes. Australia will face Canada in Bristol on September 13, while England will play against Scotland on September 14.
