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England sink Wallaroos in rainy World Cup quarter-final

By AAP
Sarah Hunter secures the line out for England. Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images

Jay Tregonning’s Wallaroos side are heading home from New Zealand after a 41-5 World Cup quarter-final humbling by England.

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Tournament favourites England have washed away Australia’s World Cup hopes with a 41-5 win in their quarter-final in Auckland.

In driving rain at Waitakere Stadium, England’s class and strength prevailed over an ill-disciplined and fumbly Australia.

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Milestone woman Sarah Hunter ensured the Red Roses led from the eighth minute, before Marlie Packer scored two first-half tries to give England a scoreboard buffer.

Jay Tregonning’s side never seriously challenged, struggling at line-outs and to maintain possession in the big wet.

One statistic told the story – Australia spent just 25 seconds in the English 22.

A stunning Emily Chancellor try in the shadow of halftime gave the Wallaroos a glimmer of hope, but the English put on four unanswered second-half tries to surge into the semi-finals.

Captain Shannon Parry said she was proud of her side but the Red Roses deserved their win.

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“England are a world class team. They’re a well oiled machine,” she said.

The odds were against Australia from the outset.

England had never failed to reach a World Cup semi and came into the knockout rounds on a three-year winning streak.

The Wallaroos’ forward pack needed to stand up to the mighty England scrum to have a shot, but they failed their first test to allow Hunter an opening try. It was a fitting reward for the living legend who became rugby’s most capped woman on Saturday, playing her 138th Test.

A yellow card to reigning world player of the year Zoe Aldcroft for a head clash gave the Wallaroos a look in, however Lori Cramer missed a penalty in their only chance for points with an advantage.

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Soon after parity was restored, Parry was sent to the bin for an offside after a string of warnings from the referee.

After missing a pair of tries in marginal TMO rulings, England’s Packer went in twice while a woman up.

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Australia were woeful at the lineout, losing six of their first eight, before Chancellor shocked England to finish a sweeping move with a stampeding run.

Any momentum Australia might have had going into the break was swept away by Abbie Ward’s 44th-minute try.

Emily Scarratt missed the conversion, going at two from six on a horror day for kicking.

Hooker Amy Cokayne then went over in the 53rd minute to wild celebrations, and Alex Matthews followed in the 62nd.

Putting an exclamation point on their performance, Packer sealed her hat-trick in the last minute after a trademark lineout push.

The result means Australia head home with a 2-2 record in New Zealand, losing to England and the hosts, but beating Scotland and Wales.

With their world record-lengthening 29th straight Test win, England join New Zealand and France in the last four.

On Saturday, New Zealand crushed Wales 55-3 and France defeated Italy 39-3, and the pair will play next Saturday at Eden Park for a place in the World Cup final.

England will meet the winner of the last quarter-final, between Canada and the United States, played later on Sunday.

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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