Australia’s resurgent rugby Wallaroos have earned a famous triumph in the women’s WXV2 tournament in Cape Town, with Ash Marsters scoring the try that sealed their winner-takes-all victory over Scotland on her record-breaking 34th appearance.
The 30-year-old flanker celebrated becoming the most capped Australian woman player in history by ploughing over over the line with a pick-and-go in the 80th minute at the Athlone Stadium to cap her side’s 31-22 victory.
The Australians huddled together in joy afterwards to celebrate their first major piece of silverware, which demonstrated the side that is beginning to blossom under the coaching of former English international Jo Yapp could be poised to next be a threat at the World Cup.
The victory officially qualified Yapp’s team for the global showpiece that will be held in England next August.
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The draw will be made on Thursday (Friday morning AEDT) with Yapp explaining just how proud she was that her side had delivered three tremendous victories in successive weeks in Cape Town over Wales, hosts South Africa and WXV2 holders Scotland to take the title.
“We had a challenging start, had very little time together to prepare early on and that time is now starting to show what we can do on the field,” Yapp said.
“Ultimately, the way they played and conducted themselves, they really are inspiring and for me, seeing them over the last couple of weeks in South Africa going into schools and engaging with young people, that’s what it’s all about and as people I’m really proud to coach them.”
Inspired by flyers Maya Stewart and Desiree Miller, Australia surged into a 21-0 lead with tries from the two wingers and another from Cecilia Smith within the first 22 minutes.
But Scotland, off the back of their forward power and Siokapesi Palu’s sin-binning for a high tackle, ate into the advantage with Leah Bartlett, Chloe Rollie and Anne Young all going over to put them 22-21 ahead with just 11 minutes remaining.
Yet, indiscipline let the Scots down, as Emma Orr got a yellow card upgraded to red for a careless head-on-head hit that forced player of the match Stewart out of the game.
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Then Francesca McGhie was binned for a deliberate knock-on as the Scots ended up with just 13 players on the field.
Australia ruthlessly took advantage of their numerical advantage in the dying minutes, with brilliant teenage fly half Faitala Moleka, who had earlier laid on Smith’s try with a delicate grubber kick, kicking a penalty to put them back in front before Marsters’s last-minute coup de grace.
It was the perfect way for Marsters to enjoy the day when she went past prop Liz Patu as the most capped Wallaroo, while Moleka capped her controlling display by converting the try, her fifth successful kick out of six.
Wallaroos captain Michaela Leonard reckoned her side had been inspired by Springboks’ World Cup-winning men’s captain Siya Kolisi presenting them with their match jerseys on the eve of the game.
“We’ve had a bit of a tough start to the year, but we’ve stuck in, we’ve kept building, and we’re going better every single week,” the skipper said.
“I’m really proud of them and the efforts they put in, and I can’t wait to see how much further it goes.”
AAP
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