Women's RWC day two round-up: England cruise past Italy
Last Updated: 13/08/17 10:19pm
Reigning champions England continued their unbeaten start to the Women's Rugby World Cup with a comprehensive 56-13 victory over Italy.
Full-back Danielle Waterman scored a hat-trick and centre Emily Scarratt and winger Lydia Thompson went over twice each as a much-changed England followed up Wednesday's 56-5 win against Spain in style at Billings Park, Dublin.
England coach Simon Middleton made 10 changes to the side which started in Wednesday's opening game, but the defending champions showcased their strength in depth by running in another 10 tries.
Waterman's fine break set up centre Scarratt for the opening touchdown in the 10th minute and England made it 12-0 in the 16th minute when number eight Alex Matthews went over.
Italy, beaten 29-15 by England in the recent Six Nations tournament, hit back through Veronica Schiavon's penalty and then winger Maria Magatti out-sprinted the covering defence to reduce the deficit to 12-8.
England responded with a similarly well-worked try from Thompson, the winger's 29th in international rugby, and just before the break flanker Marlie Packer's storming run set up skipper Amy Cokayne for another to make it 22-8 at half-time.
Two tries in three minutes soon after the restart from second row Tamara Taylor and Scarratt put England in control at 34-8 and Italy briefly rallied for their second try through forward Elisa Giordano.
Waterman powered over to keep England well out in front and just after the hour-mark Middleton made a raft of changes, with Megan Jones, Harriett Millar-Mills, Heather Kerr, Vickii Cornborough and Sarah Hunter all entering the
fray.
Waterman completed her hat-trick in the 64th minute, while Thompson touched down for her second and winger Amy Wilson-Hardy went over in the last minute to cap a comfortable win.
Scarratt kicked two of her seven conversion attempts and Amber Hemp was successful with one from three.
New Zealand 121-0 Hong Kong
Portia Woodman ran in eight tries as New Zealand Women thrashed World Cup Pool A minnows Hong Kong 121-0.
The All Blacks scored 19 tries in total against their overwhelmed opponents, with winger Woodman running riot with six in the second half, while centre Theresa Fitzpatrick touched down twice.
Scrum-half Kendra Cocksedge, who also went over, kicked 13 conversions and there were also tries for winger Carla Hohepa, number eight Charmaine McMenamin, centre Chelsea Alley, full-back Hazel Tubic, prop Sosoli Talawadua, flanker Lesley Ketu, plus substitutes Kelly Brazier and Stacey Waaka.
USA 43-0 Spain
Naya Tapper scored two tries as USA secured their second straight World Cup win in Pool B with a 43-0 victory against Spain.
The Americans, 24-12 winners against Italy in Wednesday's opening match, touched down six times and were awarded a penalty try, but were made to fight hard before breaking Spain's stubborn resistance.
Right-wing Tapper's early first try, converted by Alev Kelter, plus number eight Jordan Gray's five-pointer gave the USA a 12-0 half-time lead.
USA flanker Sarah Parsons ended the first half in the sin-bin for stopping a Spain attack without trying to play the ball and after finally breaking Spain's spirited second-half defence, full-back Cheta Emba and Tapper both went over.
A penalty try after Spain had collapsed a driving maul made it 31-0 before substitutes JJ Javelet and Hope Rogers scored tries in the closing stages. Kelter was successful with two of six conversion attempts.
Ireland 24-14 Japan
Hosts Ireland pulled off a dramatic late victory over Japan to make it two wins from two at the start of the tournament.
It was Japan who made the early running in the match, winning a series of penalties and eventually earning a penalty try after pushing their opponents hard in the scrum.
Ireland were struggling for fluency and, having failed to put together any scoring moves, found themselves on the wrong end of a second try just before half-time when Mayu Shimzu burrowed over before adding the conversion herself.
The half-time scoreline left a major shock on the cards but Ireland were able to rally despite Katie Fitzhenry's yellow card soon after the restart.
Three minutes after the Fitzhenry was sent to the sin-bin Alison Miller finally punctured a hole in the Japanese defence to grab Ireland's first try of the evening.
Nora Stapleton slotted the extras to halve the lead and substitute Paula Fitzpatrick helped remove it entirely in the 64th minute, finishing a rolling maul before another successful conversion.
The race was now on to complete the turnaround and Stapleton's nerve held when she was presented with a penalty chance seven minutes from time.
Fitzpatrick added her second touchdown from the final attack of the match, with Stapleton again on target - albeit off a post - to lend the scoreline an unexpected sheen.
Canada 15-0 Wales
Wales suffered a second World Cup defeat as Canada won a bruising contest 15-0 at Billings Park in Dublin.
Canada dominated the early exchanges, but Wales' defensive line held firm until the 25th minute when scrum-half Lori Josephson broke away.
Magali Harvey added the conversion and the winger almost extended Canada's lead at the start of the second half but was dragged down close to the line.
Wales struggled to find a real attacking threat, but they were handed an opportunity to get back in the game when full-back Julianne Zussman was correctly carded for a stamp on Wales replacement Meg York.
However, Carys Phillips soon followed her out of the action and Canada landed a decisive blow as Hannah Jones was penalised for not rolling away and Harvey dispatched a 22-metre penalty.
Canada's victory was secured in stoppage time when Harvey was freed by a quick penalty and she sprinted down the right wing for her sixth try of the tournament.
France 48-0 Australia
France ran in eight tries to overpower Australia 48-0 and reclaim top spot in Pool C. Shannon Izar sent the French on their way with a 26-minute hat-trick in Dublin as Les Bleus leapfrogged Ireland at the top of the section.
France led 29-0 at the break with Audrey Forlani and Chloe Pelle also crossing for tries against a porous Wallabies defence.
Pelle scored her second try and Romane Menager added another before Australia were reduced to 14 by Katrina Barker's yellow card.
Replacement Gaelle Mignot claimed the final France try, although she blotted her copybook in the final minute by offending at the breakdown and receiving a yellow card.
Audrey Abadie and Montserrat Amedee both kicked two conversions as France fell just short of the 50-point mark.
