held on to claim a nailbiting 19-17 opening win over Australia at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Dublin. The replacements Ciara Griffin and Sophie Spence scored tries to put the hosts in a commanding position midway through the second half. Australia hit back with a late converted try by Hilisha Samoa, making it
John Randle Womens Jersey a tense final few minutes for the Irish. Ireland had gone into the game full of confidence but took some time to unlock the Australian defence until scrum-half Larissa Muldoon sneaked over. Nora Stapleton’s conversion gave the Irish a seven-point advantage but Australia hit back with Mahalia Miller reducing the deficit to two points at the interval. Kay Wilson leads England’s rout of Spain in Women’s Rugby World Cup Read more When Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry crossed the line early in the second half Ireland were facing potential embarassment and they reached the hour mark trailing 10-7. Griffin went over to restore the hosts’ lead and another Stapleton conversion gave Ireland four-point cushion. After a long spell of domination Spence was granted another Irish try via video replay, and it looked like the hosts had done enough to dig themselves out of a hole. But Samoa’s late effort helped Australia get back within touching distance and ensured Ireland would be a very relieved team at the final whistle. Wallaroos coach Paul Verrell said his world No6 side had improved from their winless Four Nations tour of New Zealand two months ago. “The team matched it with the Irish and for the majority of the match and matched them in physically and put in a solid defensive display,” Verrell said. “The Irish controlled possession for a large portion of the second half and kept the ball inside our own half and that prevented us from creating any real opportunities.” Wales were overrun 44-12 by New Zealand to launch their campaign in disappointing fashion. The Black Ferns, who are expected to be the greatest challengers for England’s global crown, amassed eight tries at a sun-kissed Billings Park. The full-back Selica Winiata spearheaded the assault with a hat-trick and the wing Renee Wickliffe scored two tries as New Zealand’s back three ran riot. The defeat means Rowland Phillips’ team must prevail against Canada on Sunday if they are to progress
http://www.minnesotavikingsauthorizedstore.com/kyle-rudolph-jersey-elite to the semi-finals. Advertisement The wing Kris Thomas scored two tries as the United States opened their campaign with a 24-12 victory over Italy. Thomas, who was also given a yellow card late in the game, opened her team’s account with an early score as the Americans claimed a bonus-point Pool B triumph. The fly-half Kimber Rozier also touched down in the first half, converting her own try but Italy – England’s opponents on Sunday – struck back with a Lucia Cammarano try that Veronica Schiavon converted. Thomas’s second try, though, ensured some breathing space before the replacement lock Abby Gustaitis secured a five-point maximum, with Alev Kelter converting, before Elisa Giordano claimed a consolation score. Magali Harvey scored five tries as Canada began their campaign with a blistering 98-0 win over Hong Kong. four minutes. As well as Harvey’s five tries and eight conversions, the Canada captain Kelly Russell, a veteran of the defeat to England three years ago, joined in with threeScarratt has bad news for England’s opponents at the World Cup: she now has the benefit of a kicking coach. Given that in 2014 she landed four kicks against Canada in the final (supplemented by a match-clinching try), she was already fairly accomplished but she goes into Wednesday’s opener against Spain with even more assurance. “We have had Paul Burke in to help,” the 27-year-old says of the former Ireland fly-half who was later kicking coach at Leicester. “It is something we have worked really hard on. We appreciate a lot of games are going to come down to three points because that is how close they are going to be. “He has just tweaked a few things. I have never really been coached in goal-kicking prior to him coming in so there are a few basics. They are really simple things like making sure you line
Teemu Selanne Authentic Jersey up the ball right. Apparently, I was lining the ball up outside the right post so how is it ever going to go through? In my head I was lining it up. “He has kicked for Quins and what have you for years and years so obviously he knows what he is talking about. All down the seam of the ball and you hope it is not windy because I am not very good at judging that. “It has been simple things but it is almost just giving you the confidence to kick the ball, so you know that it is lined up and it works so when you get to the ball you just whack it. I don’t like to over-think things. I just get to the ball and whack it and know the process is there. When you have kicked it you look up and hope it has gone where you want it to go. If you have got a good bank of kicking behind you it gives you the confidence to go out and kick it.” England enter the tournament on the back of nine successive victories, which include a Six Nations grand slam and success in June’s four nations series in New Zealand, but with preparations overshadowed by the news that the Rugby Football Union is to end full-time contracts for 15-a-side players and resume them for sevens players for the next three years, in the buildup to the Tokyo Olympics. Scarratt says: “It is really important that we do not let the issue have an impact. If we let it distract us, we would look back on it forever. We have to focus on the huge challenge that is
http://www.sandiegochargersauthorizedstore.com/ladainian-tomlinson-jersey-elite ahead of us and we have all eyes on that. Once the World Cup is out of the way, we can see what the future holds.” The RFU is not keen on the players being questioned about contracts, having been criticised by politicians on the left and right since last month’s announcement. Scarratt was a PE teacher before becoming a full-time player but, as a member of the sevens squad, she is not likely to be job-hunting next month. People have been sticking around at Twickenham to watch us – there is nothing better than inspiring the next generation “Everyone wants the game to go the way of full-time contracts for sevens and 15s, but we are in the position we are in and we can only focus on a huge tournament we have prepared really well for,” she says. “We have to show that in the coming weeks. Nothing has been announced about the sevens yet. I loved teaching and it is something I can go back to at any point, but now is not the time to be thinking about it.”
