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World Cup buzz grows as steely Australia upstage Ilona Maher’s USA

The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. So rang the cry of the Canberra crowd after American rugby star and social media “queen” Ilona Maher was upstaged by Australia’s own golden girl, the Sevens star and Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Caslick, whose speed and daring inspired a 30-19 win over the USA at GIO Stadium.

This was a sweet victory for the Wallaroos – and a vital one. These sides will resume their rivalry in August via the same pool at the Rugby World Cup in England, with each nation hunting a first semi-final. Maher is crucial to the USA’s chances. Yet every time the Queen touched the ball last night she had a swarm of golden bees over her.

Australia had been stung too many times before. Despite being ranked No 6 to the USA’s ninth, the Wallaroos had won just twice from eight Tests with the Eagles. Last year in Melbourne, the Americans came back from 12 points down to win 32-25. A month prior, Maher’s heroics denied Australia Sevens bronze at the Paris Olympics.

So this victory, after last week’s brave 38-12 loss to New Zealand, was crucial for Australia’s confidence in the quest to progress into the World Cup knockout stages. Coach Jo Yapp knew it too, shelving her early season experimentation to name an experienced XV with an all-new front-row of loose-head prop Bree-Anna Browne and hooker Tania Naden joining Eva Karpani to counter the powerful Americans.

It had been a weird week for Australia’s rugby women. Preparing for a home Test yet completely overshadowed in the media by Maher – she of the magazine covers and 5 million social media followers. And when the Eagles’ most experienced player, loosehead prop Hope Rogers, charged the line, spun out of two tackles and crashed over for a 7-0 lead in the 15th minute, the hype grew teeth.

But the Wallaroos responded quickly when captain Siokapesi Palu hit it up off the ruck in midfield, took the tackle then broke it and galloped upfield. Michaela Leonard was there to take the offload but as the navy blue jerseys swarmed, Caslick, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist in Sevens, swept in to score her first try in the 15s format.

Last week, the Wallaroos conceded their first try after a rash tap-and-run in their own quarter. This time a quick tap-and-go by Ash Marsters snatched Australia the lead. When Faitala Moleka kicked a sublime 50-22, the line-out became their launchpad. Australia won it then spun it into a rolling maul, Karpani peeled off to score.

The crowd had come to see Maher’s running game unleashed. Yet despite being 26kg lighter than the American, pocket rocket Georgina Friedrich was rushing up to snap Maher off at the ankles before she got going. The intensity looked to have delivered the home side a 19-7 lead at halftime. But the Eagles swooped late. Again, it was Rogers rolling a thunder maul downfield then barging over the stripe for 19-14.

In Newcastle, the Wallaroos had been monstered down the middle by the Black Ferns. But down 26-0 at halftime, they emerged from the sheds the better side and, against a side with a 28-0 win-loss against them, claw to a 12-point parity in the second stanza. So it proved again in Canberra, as flanker Marsters rumbled into space on the short side and muscled her way to a double and extend the home side’s lead to 10-points.

Having lost their opening Pacific Four match to Canada 26-14 earlier this month, the Eagles were desperate. Despite a mounting error count and the nullification of Maher in the backline, Rogers got them back in the contest, the former college discus star barging over for a third short-range try to reduce the deficit to five points.

As Moleka kicked a 40-metre penalty to stretch Australia’s lead beyond a converted try, panic entered the American ranks. Under siege, they were able to force turnovers and keep their line intact. But their own frustrations were growing and controlled aggression tipped into chaos when Eagles centre Alev Kelter lost her cool and stomped on the head of Lori Cramer in an ugly end to a fiercely fought Test.

Australia will be delighted at their progress in 2025. They have won five of their last six Tests and, as they integrate Sevens stars like Caslick into the 15s format and improve their setpiece, they are building a serious head of steam for the World Cup. Next week they face world No 2 Canada in Brisbane. Win there and they can send the world’s best sides a war cry: “Long live Queen Caslick.”

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