YORK, England — The Women’s Rugby World Cup desperately needed a game that put people on the edge of their seats.
With scoreboard blowouts and a lack of real drama so far, fans were crying out for something to sink their teeth into.
Australia and the United States delivered on Saturday.
Their 31-31 draw not only entertained the crowd in York, but it means it’s all to play for in Pool A going into the final round. England are of course through, but anything could happen when the tournament hosts face Australia and the U.S. play Samoa next week.
U.S. coach Sione Fukofuka said it was “bittersweet” while Wallaroos counterpart Jo Yapp said she was “frustrated.”
Some fell to their knees when the final siren went, others looked around, unsure what to do or make of it all. The crowd were the quietest than they had been all evening, their throats no doubt thankful for a rest after 80 minutes of shouting and cheering.
Then, they just clapped, thanking the players, knowing they had witnessed a phenomenal game of rugby.
With a 9-point lead and all the momentum at half time, Australia looked for all money like they would see things through. But, the U.S. knew defeat would condemn them to an early exit and they shot out of the blocks with two tries in 12 minutes at the start of the second half.
The lead changed hands, momentum swung and there were points galore. While the U.S. led for just six minutes of the total 80, their never-say-die attitude carried them through.
Penalties hurt Australia and, in the cold light of day, they’ll know if they had been slightly more disciplined, they likely would have won.
“It feels to me like we lost it,” co-captain Emily Chancellor told ESPN in the aftermath.
“For me, I feel like we didn’t control the little things we could have controlled.”
While the two sets of players might have woken up on Sunday morning wondering what might have been, fans will have been discussing and dissecting the match over their scrambled eggs and long into the day.
It has also set things up for more drama next week, with both sides able to qualify for the quarterfinals. The U.S. need a bonus point win over Samoa, while Australia also need a bonus point — four tries or more, win or lose — against England to book their place.
Should the U.S. do their job and Australia lose and fail to get a bonus point, it will come down to points difference.
Tasty.
There is no doubt, after several blow-out results and predictable games, the tournament has been injected with some life after Saturday’s clash in York.
U.S. star Ilona Maher, a fierce bastion of women’s rugby, was clearly frustrated in the moments after the result, but could see the positives of the spectacle her and her fellow players provided for the masses.
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“I think we gave them a great game, and I think that’s just cool to see,” Maher told ESPN after the match.
“A lot of people probably haven’t even seen rugby, so they got to come out and see such an entertaining game like that. That’s what we want to do.
“We want to show them that it can be entertaining just as the men, and I think we did that tonight.”
The challenge now for both sides is picking themselves off for one more push next week. The U.S. play first, next Saturday, then Australia.
If we get half the drama we did in York on Saturday, it’s going to be another epic afternoon.
