AUSTRALIA 78 ENGLAND 0
LORRAINE MARSDEN, HBF Park, Perth, Saturday
WHO can stop the Jillaroos? On this performance perhaps no one, as the Australians produced another dominant performance against an England side who didn’t help themselves with errors and indiscipline throughout.
Much of the talk pre-game had suggested that anything less than the 90-4 defeat in Las Vegas in March 2025, would be seen as a success for England, so in that respect, Stuart Barrow’s side can take something from the game. But there is still lots of improvements to be made, and mistakes to be fixed ahead of the winner-takes-all clash against Samoa on Friday.
England made five changes from last week’s 70-6 win over Wales with Leeds’ Lucy Murray coming in for the injured Jasmin Strange, while Woman of Steel Jenna Foubister started in the halves alongside Wigan teammate Isabel Rowe, with Georgia Roche moving to the bench.
Molly Jones and Liv Wood also got their first appearances of the tournament, replacing Georgia Wilson and Mary Coleman respectively in the starting line-up, while Lucie Sams was handed a debut from the bench in place of Hope Millard.
Australia too made changes from their opener against Samoa with Abbi Church replacing Jessica Sergis in the backs, with Julia Robinson switching from wing to centre, while Tiana Penitani Gray took the place of captain Kezie Apps in the pack. A new-look bench also saw Quincy Dodd, Sarah Togatuki and debutants Makenzie Weale and Sariah Paki all handed caps.
Things could hardly have started worse for England when two errors from kick-offs led to two tries for Jaime Chapman to put the hosts 10-0 up within the opening six minutes.
Firstly England were pinged for being offside as they kicked the match off to piggyback Australia up the field, and when England were kept inside their own ten by strong Australian defence, the Jillaroos made the most of a second set close in when Penitani Grey’s final pass put Chapman in at the corner.
Foubister’s kick from the restart went out on the full to give Australia even more field position and when Jocelyn Kelleher’s bomb was collected by Chapman at full stretch, she dotted down for her second within the opening six minutes.
When England finally did get their first taste of ball in hand, following a knock-on by Chapman, they went close through Anna Davies, who was bundled into touch on the corner flag.
But that was about as good as it got for England as a break from Tamika Upton put Kelleher in for a try, before another repeat set put Robinson over for Australia’s fourth, just minutes before she left the field with a suspected broken wrist.
With just over ten minutes left of the opening half, indiscipline and mistakes continued to cost England with Kelleher adding her second of the game, before Isabelle Kelly went over just minutes later as Eva Hunter was leaving the field with an injury.
There was still time before the break for Church to touch down for a 36-0 lead, with Kelleher adding four first-half conversions.
It got no better in the second half as more errors and indiscipline invited Australia to turn the screw even more with Tarryn Aiken, Olivia Kernick, Dodd, Church – off a neat chip kick and regather from Kelleher – Weale, Penitani Grey, Kelly and Shaylee Bent – after a superb line break from Togatuki – all crossed to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Australia against an England side who never performed even close to their best.
GAMESTAR: Jocelyn Kelleher ended the game with 26 points, while her kicking game caused England problems throughout.
GAMEBREAKER: Two early errors from England kick-offs, which both led to tries, set the tone for what was to come from Australia.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jaime Chapman’s full-stretch catch from Jocelyn’s Kelleher’s bomb for her second try was superb, and was just one of many special tries from the Aussies.
MATCHFACTS
AUSTRALIA
1 Tamika Upton
2 Jaime Chapman
3 Julia Robinson
4 Isabelle Kelly
5 Abbi Church
6 Jocelyn Kelleher
7 Tarryn Aiken
8 Millie Elliott
9 Olivia Higgins
10 Simaima Taufa
11 Tiana Penitani Grey
12 Shaylee Bent
13 Olivia Kernick
Subs (all used)
14 Quincy Dodd
15 Sarah Togatuki
16 Makenzie Weale
17 Sariah Paki
Tries: Chapman (2, 6), Kelleher (13, 23), Robinson (16), Kelly (26, 65), Church (28, 47), Aiken (38), Kernick (40), Dodd (45), Weale (51), Penitanti Grey (54), Bent (67)
Goals: Kelleher 9/15
ENGLAND
1 Fran Goldthorp
2 Anna Davies
3 Molly Jones
4 Connie Boyd
5 Amelia Brown
6 Isabel Rowe
7 Jenna Foubister
8 Liv Wood
9 Keara Bennett
10 Hollie-Mae Dodd
21 Lucy Murray
12 Eva Hunter
13 Megan Williams
Subs (all used)
14 Jodie Cunningham
15 Vicky Whitfield
16 Georgia Roche
17 Lucie Sams
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 22-0, 26-0, 32-0, 36-0; 42-0, 48-0, 54-0, 58-0, 64-0, 70-0, 74-0, 78-0
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Australia: Jocelyn Kelleher; England: Fran Goldthorp
Penalty count: 8-2
Half-time: 36-0
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Attendance: 13,087
