The Wallaroos might have lost but they gained some respect after a gallant performance against the Blacks Ferns at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Jay Tregonning’s Wallaroos were hammered 52-5 last week across the ditch, but in front of their home fans Australia fought until the death and finished on a high note despite going down 22-14.
Bienne Terita’s second try on the stroke of full-time gave the growing crowd something to cheer about as the winger scored through some hard, direct running. Arabella McKenzie’s second conversion score the Wallaroos go down by just eight points.
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Early on the Wallaroos shocked their trans-Tasman rivals, who went into the match on an unbeaten 21 match winning streak.
Terita’s nerves got the better of her early as the 19-year-old bombed a try out wide, but the rising Sevens star made no mistake second time around as she scored. McKenzie’s sideline conversion was a beauty and the Wallaroos were 7-0 up.
But despite holding a numerical advantage after centre Chelsea Semple was shown a yellow card for an upright tackle that saw her knocked out, the Black Ferns dominated the next hour.
While the Wallaroos were dogged and led by their backrow of Emily Chancellor, captain Shannon Parry and Grace Hamilton, they couldn’t turn the ball over and work their way out of their own half. Eventually the pressure told and the visitors struck back through hooker Luka Connor.
Second-rower Joanah Ngan-Woo then scored New Zealand’s second try early in the second half and it appeared as if the Black Ferns were off and running and would not be stopped.
Meanwhile Olympic Sevens star Ruby Tui was running riot.
Kendra Reynolds scored New Zealand’s third try in tight and extended their lead out to 21-7.
But Terita’s second try under the hill at Adelaide Oval saw the Wallaroos take something from the match.
It was the side’s second narrowest margin defeat between the two nations.
“I want to give props to the Wallaroos for growing rugby over the ditch,” Tui said.
“I know it’s not easy for women over here but far out look what they did in one week, goes to show, do a bit of study, and they really gave it to us.
“It’s amazing and I want to shout out to everyone who’s jumped onto women’s rugby this year” she said of the double header in front of an enthusiastic pre-Wallabies crowd.
“Ten years ago this was nothing so it’s so inspiring the people out there are putting their hand up and say we want to support the other half of the demographic as well.
“Thank you to Australian rugby union and World Rugby for putting this on.
“The rivalry between Aussie and New Zealand is more than words, it goes really, really deep and I think it’s something we should be proud of.”
