Wallaroos vs Scotland: Rising stars, spirited response and farewells

Emily Chancellor and Cecilia Smith have bowed out of international rugby on a winning note, helping the Wallaroos beat Scotland 38-31. It’s the first time the Aussies have won three straight Tests since 2024, when they took out the WXV 2 title in South Africa.

Amelia Whitaker and Maya Stewart got on the scoresheet early, as the Wallaroos raced out to a 14-0 lead inside 15 minutes. But Scotland fought their way back with three unanswered tries, going into the sheds up by three.

Wallaroos captain Siokapesi Palu Sekona scored the team’s first try of the second half, as they took a 38-24 lead into the final 18 minutes. But Eva Karpani was shown a yellow card, and Smith’s final Test was cut short after receiving a second yellow.

Rachel Malcolm crashed over for her second of the night in the dying stages, as Scotland made it a seven-point game with less than two minutes left. But Georgina Friedrichs got over the ball to win a piler penalty, which brought an end to a dramatic contest.

Ellis makes the No. 10 jersey her own

Incredibly, Ellis appears to have made that 10 jersey her own at just 19 years of age. It should be noted that Ellis hadn’t kicked the ball once by the 71^st minute, which maybe highlights the way the fly-half likes to play.

It’s been a breakout season for Ellis, for both club and country. The teenager was a winger when she debuted for the national team last year, but looks incredibly confident now steering the NSW Waratahs and Wallaroos around the park as the main game-driver.

The Waratahs took out the Super Rugby Women’s title once again, with Ellis starring in a team full of Wallaroos players. Ellis then carried that form into the Test arena, which included a superb performance against the Scots in Canberra.

Stan Sport highlighted Ellis’ efforts during their half-time show. Ellis had set the game alight with attacking magic; beating defenders, making line breaks, and setting up teammates to carry the ball into space.

Ellis finished with more than 65 running meters, which was the most out of any Wallaroo.

Cecilia Smith was the first Wallaroos to receive a yellow card during the first half, before fly-half Ellis was told to sit down just a few minutes later. Scotland went into the break with a hard-fought lead after fighting their way back from a 14-0 deficit.

But the yellow card against Ellis shouldn’t take away from just how good the playmaker was in another start in the No. 10 jumper. Ellis has really made their jersey her own this season, with X-factor in attack getting the very best out of the Wallaroos.

Scotland’s spirited response

The Wallaroos held on for their third consecutive win over Scotland in a month, but there will still be plenty of positives for the northern hemisphere side to take away. Scotland showed real grit, fight as they fought all the way to the end of this titanic Test.

Amelia Whitaker and Maya Stewart scored early, as the Wallaroos raced out to a 14-0 lead inside 15 minutes. The Aussies had run away with a big win over the Scots in Sydney last weekend, and seemed to take plenty of confidence into this Test.

Rachel Malcolm was first to hit back for Scotland, who scored three tries before half-time. They actually took a hard-fought lead into the break. The team who had trailed by two converted tries early were ahead in the possession and territory battles, too.

Holland Bogan led the way at half-time with a game-high 10 carries, while Hannah Ramsey and Evie Gallagher were Scotland’s top tacklers. Malcolm completed a double during the second half, as several Scottish players produced much-improved performances.

Moleka’s versatility a major positive

Moleka’s importance to the Wallaroos can’t go unnoticed – and it certainly hasn’t. Assistant coach Mike Ruthven spoke highly of the now 36-Test Wallaroo on Wednesday afternoon, who had been moved from the centres to fullback.

Coach Jo Yapp started Moleka at fly-half in all four matches at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, but the utility has recently shifted to the midfield. But Moleka didn’t skip a beat after lining up in the outside backs.

The Wallaroos trailed at half-time, as noted above, but Moleka inspired the fightback early in the second half. Scottish defenders scrambled as Moleka charged into the 22, but the Aussie proved hard to bring down during the powerful carry.

Australia took control of the match’s momentum, and ill-discipline saw Scotland go down to 14-players for 10 minutes. Moleka was the one who benefited from the confident attacking play, with the fullback breaking through the line.

Moleka fended off a covering defender, before beating another two players in a race to the try line. Wallaroos players swarmed to the try-scores, who has remarkably already played more than 35 Tests at just 21 years of age.

With the Wallaroos’ season coming to an end with the sound of the referee’s whistle in Canberra, Moleka’s success across multiple positions stands out as a real positive. Rugby Australia and the ACT Brumbies have unearthed a gem.

Farewell to a couple of Wallaroos greats

Emily Chancellor and Cecilia Smith led the Wallaroos onto the field, as the pair prepared to play their final Test match. They have both been to two Rugby World Cups, with Smith earning Player of the Match honours against Samoa last year.

Chancellor is a former Wallaroos captain, who has played more than 40 Tests in the gold jersey, and was a tackle-machine at last year’s World Cup. Smith debuted for the Wallaroos four years ago and has been an essential part of the side ever since.

In their final Test appearances, Chancellor was able to make a telling impact in defence, before coming off the field for the last time during the second half. Smith did receive a yellow card during the first half, and another in the second, but was otherwise superb.

While the door remains open for Chancellor and Smith to potentially play Super Rugby Women’s next year, their experience at Test level will be hard to replace – but women’s rugby in Australia is in a very good place, and that includes the depth of the Wallaroos squad.