Written by Priscilla Jeptumba
The Wallaroos achieved a thrilling 33-26 victory over South Africa in Cape Town. Ash Marsters made a vital steal in the last minute to propel the Australian women’s team into contention for the WXV2 tournament title.
Australian captain Michaela Leonard said the final five minutes had been incredibly stressful and highlighted the players’ determination and teamwork.
“The last five minutes were very stressful, but it was just the heart of Australia, that ticker, the girls working for each other in the trenches and what wearing this jersey means to us. It shows what you can do,” Leonard said.
The title decider against unbeaten Scotland is set for next week, with performances highlighted by impressive performances from winger Desiree Miller and record-breaker Maya Stewart.
“After a difficult year, we have definitely turned a corner. We have shown what we can achieve if we do it right,” Australian captain Leonard added.
In a thrilling match, South Africa’s formidable scrums and decisive carries were not rewarded enough, with defensive lapses and lineout failures negatively impacting the performance. Despite a solid run, the Springboks were unable to keep up the pressure on the Australians.
With the game in the balance, Marsters secured a decisive penalty to prevent a draw, denying the Springboks a try after the siren. Australia got off to a strong start with Pal scoring early and Friedrichs capitalizing on Stewart’s run.
South African halfback Unam Tose charged the kick and scored, but Kalpani added Australia’s third try. Two Wallaroo goals were canceled out before half-time, with a try from Sinazo Makachulwa cutting the half-time lead to 21-12.
Australia scored in the second half despite being down to 14 men, with Miller and Stewart further extending their lead. The Springboks fought back with substitutions and scored two tries to close the gap.
Mikke Gunther’s late try and Ruth’s conversion cut the deficit to seven points, but the Wallaroos held on to win. Meanwhile, Scotland secured their second win by defeating Japan 19-13, setting the stage for next week’s exciting grand finale.
