Australia fired another warning shot at fellow World Cup heavyweights New Zealand after scoring a comprehensive 38-0 win over England in their second pool match on Sunday.
The only negative for the Jillaroos was centre Isabelle Kelly being placed on report after England forward Chantelle Crowl made a biting allegation near the end of the first half.
The women’s World Cup match review committee of former NRL referee Steve Clarke, Bruce Wallace and John Coates will meet to look at the incident tomorrow and, if the incident is referred to the judiciary, the case will be heard at NSWRL headquarters at 5pm on Monday.
It was an otherwise dominant display from the reigning champions, with Australia blowing England away to lead by 24-0 half-time, building on from their thrashing of the Cook Islands on Wednesday.
A healthy crowd at Southern Cross Group Stadium made the most of a picture-perfect day in the shire as Australia took the lead in the seventh minute when Kelly showed good strength to reach out and score after a short side raid close to the line.
England went close shortly after when hooker Lois Forsell was held up over the line. But from the restart Australia came up with the try of the match.
Meg Ward scooped the ball up from dummy half with the Jillaroos winger racing towards halfway before finding Ali Brigginshaw with a brilliant offload. Fullback Nakia Davis-Welsh popped up in support to score under the posts, with Australia going almost 90 metres in one play.
Australia extended their lead in the 18th minute after Brigginshaw had forced a goal line drop out. From the next set the Jillaroos shifted left, with Brigginshaw finding Kelly with a sublime cut out pass before Ward touched down in the corner.
It was Australia’s other winger, Chelsea Baker, who had Australia out to an 18-0 lead shortly after when she benefited from England’s failure to deal with another Brigginshaw kick down field. Corban McGregor beat England fullback Jodie Cunningham to the ball, with Brigginshaw toeing the ball ahead for Baker to score out wide.
Elianna Walton barged over from close range on the half hour mark to give Australia their 24-0 half-time lead before Crowl made the biting allegation against Kelly in the final moments of the half.
England also had a chance to narrow the deficit, with winger Charlotte Booth going close, only to drop the final pass short of the line.
Jillaroos back-rower Kezie Apps crossed inside the opening few minutes of the second half before Caitlin Moran extended the lead to 34-0 with a try 20 minutes from full-time.
Ward crossed for a second five minutes later to close the scoring.
Australia face Canada in their final pool match on Wednesday while England meet the Cook Islands.
Leader Scoreboard
Australia Jillaroos 38 (Meg Ward two, Isabelle Kelly, Nakia Davis-Welsh, Chelsea Baker, Elianna Walton, Kezie Apps, Caitlin Moran tries. Chelsea Baker two, Caitlin Moran goals)
defeated
England 0
at Southern Cross Group Stadium