England top World Cup pool but beaten Australia also reach quarters

BRIGHTON, England :England kept up their winning run at the Women’s Rugby World Cup but Saturday’s 47-7 win over Australia in their final Pool A clash proved tougher than their previous two runaway triumphs.

The tournament hosts, who scored 161 points in beating the U.S. and Samoa in the opening fortnight of the tournament, will now take on Scotland in next week’s quarter-finals while Australia are also through to the last eight despite the loss.

Australia had to avoid defeat by more than 75 points, otherwise the U.S., who thumped Samoa 60-0 in York earlier, would have taken second spot in the pool.

Australia are now up against second-ranked Canada in their quarter-final.

Australia surprised with an early maul try from Adiana Talakai and, though England responded quickly with a try for winger Jess Breach, the Wallaroos were 7-5 ahead until the 32nd minute, after which England scored two quick tries through Abbie Ward and Sadia Kabeya to be 19-7 ahead at halftime.

Kabeya, Kelsey Clifford (2) and Sarah Bern got more tries after the break to make the final score more comprehensive and confirm England’s status as tournament favourites. They equalled their record of 30 successive test wins.

The United States dotted down 10 unanswered tries as they romped to victory over Samoa with Freda Tafuna scoring four, Hope Rogers (two) and one each for Cassidy Bargell, Erica Coulibaly, Erica Jarrell-Searcy and Olivia Ortiz.

Samoa left the tournament with three points, a penalty kicked by Harmony Vatau to rapturous applause against England at Northampton last weekend, but they came close to their first try of the tournament on several occasions in a spirited second-half performance on Saturday with the York crowd willing them on.

Samoa conceded