The UKAF team had a disappointing opening match in the inaugural International Defence Force Women’s World Cup, going down 20-32 in Auckland.
UKAF got off to the best possible start, slick hands putting RAF winger Cpl Rhiannon Walton down the left touchline to set up the position which brought a try for Army hooker, Sgt Sarah Batley (AGC (RMP)).
With just three minutes on the clock and the conversion on target things looked good, but Australia steadied the ship, and it took until the 26th minute for the scorers to be called into action again, Fg Off Sarah Graham landing her second kick to extend the lead to 10-0.
Australia got their first points just after the half-hour with a penalty, but UKAF hit back with a second try, Gnr Amy Carr (RA) making a break, the forwards maintaining possession and Fg Off Graham crashing over in the left corner.
But Australia got a try on the stroke of half-time to make the score 15-8 in favour of UKAF, and while neither team could make a breakthrough in the third quarter Australia had the wind at their backs, scoring a converted try on the hour to tie things up.
With 13 minutes to play the scores were still equal, but Australia hit the front for the first time with a nice backline move, before a sucker-punch end-to-end score gave the team in green and gold a double-digit lead.
It was barely what UKAF deserved for long periods of time spent on the Australian line, with the Australians deserving plenty of credit for the way they withstood the pressured which had been piled on them.
An interception Australian try four minutes from time put the contest to bed, and SAC Kathryn Robinson’s injury-time score was scant consolation.
UKAF now need to beat Fiji on Friday, October 14th, to have any chance of progressing into the semi-finals.
“You can’t play rugby without the ball and we gave possession up too easily and too many penalties in the wrong areas,” said UKAF captain, Cpl Sian Williams. “You can’t take the heart out of the girls, everyone worked so hard, but the Aussies came out fighting and fair play to them.
“It’s a three-day turnaround so it’s got to be a big squad effort moving forward. Fiji will have had a longer time to recover and we’ll do our best to come out firing on Friday.”
Friday’s game is being live streamed; visit https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/idrc/#livestream for all the information.
Words © New Dogs,Old Tricks
All images – UKAF Rugby © Neil Kennedy
