The Wallaroos made another step towards the World Cup knockout stages on Saturday, securing a draw against the USA in a tantalising match at the York Community Stadium.
It was a truly unpredictable game with neither side truly able to gain the ascendancy throughout.
If Australia had won, then they would have secured a knockout spot with one match to spare, knocking the USA out early. If the USA had won, then they would have put themselves in as front-runners as they approached their final pool stage outing against bottom-placed Samoa.
As it was, with the scores level and the clock in the red, and the USA fielding a kick in their own 22, they elected to kick the ball directly into touch, giving them a fighting chance to force their way out of the pool in the next round.
Fascinating ending pic.twitter.com/OSIuRJapTC
— Jack Tunney (@JackTunneyRugby) August 31, 2025
Despite being five points to the good of the USA in the standings, the final gradings after round three on September 6 could still work in the USA’s favour.
As it stands, Australia are currently sitting in second place on eight points, while the USA are in third with three points. For the USA to ensure a second-place finish, they will need to secure a bonus point victory over Samoa, whilst Australia will need to fail to secure any points in their match against England. If this scenario happens, then both sides will finish on eight points.
Even if this does all occur, the USA will need to contend with the extraordinary points difference of 135 that’s currently on the table. This means an average of 67.5 points difference will need to happen in both matches for the USA to go through.
For Australia to guarantee progress to the next round, all they will need to do is ensure that they pick up a single point, whether that’s from a losing bonus point or a try-scoring bonus point.
Watch: Samoan players celebrate first points after crowdfunding effort to get to World Cup
Ilona Maher proud of fighting spirit
Speaking after the 31-all draw, star USA centre Ilona Maher said: “The mood is disappointment because we were so close. “But also excitement because there is more to play for in that we’re not going home just yet.
“We’re definitely proud of the fight. We were in it the whole time. We had ourselves a game, it was exciting to watch, exciting for people in the stands and watching at home.
“I just know that it was really good rugby, even with the conditions. It was super wet out there.”
Australia head coach Jo Yapp had opposite emotions, describing the event as “a bit flat” after failing to secure the much-needed victory.
“We let them into the game in that second half and our penalty count allowed them access to our half, and when they’re in there, they’re hard to stop,” Yapp said.
“Ultimately, our discipline really let us down. At times, we weren’t accurate with our launch plays as well. We’ll always reflect and look to bounce back – the girls have got a big game next week.”