Worcester women help England book place in World Cup final (From Worcester News)

Worcester women help England book place in World Cup final

10:24am Thursday 2nd September 2010 in

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ENGLAND will play New Zealand in the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Sunday (5.15pm) after a thrilling 15-0 semi-final victory over Australia at the Twickenham Stoop.

It will be a third consecutive World Cup meeting for the giants of the women’s game but this time England will be hoping they can steal the crown from the Black Ferns on home soil and win it for the first time in 16 years.

England booked their place in the final thanks to tries from skipper Catherine Spencer and Worcester full-back Danielle Waterman in the first-half, while Katy McLean and Alice Richardson added five points from the boot.

Waterman said: “I’m ecstatic. We had a really tough game. The Aussies really came at us. But the defence all through the squad was brilliant and keeping them to nil was really important. I’m unbelievably excited for Sunday now.

“It was brilliant playing at the Stoop. The pitch was fantastic and the crowd was brilliant. Obviously, we’re looking for more people to come down to the final to fill the stadium but it was brilliant last night – a great atmosphere and a great facility.

“We treated the semi-final like any other game. Obviously, it was a step up from the pool games but we still saw it as just another game of rugby. Luckily, we won and now we’re really looking forward to Sunday.”

There was no hanging around by England at the start of this game with the hosts making their presence felt straight away.

England’s most capped player Amy Garnett made some tremendous breaks early on, while Richardson, at centre, came close to scoring after she cut a great line.

England carried that momentum forward with a good scrum deep into Australia’s territory and, in true Spencer style, the explosive former Worcester number eight picked up and went from the back of the scrum to score after just seven minutes.

Fly-half Katy McLean added the conversion.

Australia couldn’t retaliate and were constantly on the defence but they saved a near score by Fiona Pocock, who was just metres from touching down on the left wing with a ferocious tackle by Nicole Beck.

Their defence couldn’t keep holding up, though, and after more barrages of attack they ran out of defenders when Amy Turner, having a superb game at scrum half on her 50th cap, popped the ball up to Waterman on the right wing after Emily Scarratt was tackled just short of the try-line.

McLean this time couldn’t make the conversion and the hosts went into the break 12-0 up.

The spirit and the defence of the Australians didn’t dampen in the second-half though and a lack of precision by England along with great defending by Australia prevented any further score.

Australia, in fact, seemed more inspired and made England work hard, both in attack and defence.

England, however, weathered the storm, even when they were a man down when Heather Fisher was sin-binned, but, with Richardson adding a 78th-minute penalty, England secured their cup final ticket.

Head coach Gary Street, whose side have defeated Ireland, Kazakhstan, USA and Australia on route to the final, said: “I’m delighted we are in the final. This is just reward for all the management and players who have worked so hard.

“Australia were another tough opponent. Every team that plays against England seem to raise their game and they were no different.

“They were committed and decisive. We obviously need to keep improving but our defensive effort was huge and it showed how hard our girls will work to win this world cup.

“New Zealand are obviously a world-class side but they’ll find us their toughest opponents yet.

“The last time we played them we also won so we won’t fear them. I’m sure it’ll be an epic encounter and I know that the public will once again see a game of great quality from the best two women’s teams in the world.

“It’s often said that the last World Cup was the greatest game of women’s rugby ever; now it’s our job to top that.”

England: Danielle Waterman (Worcester); Charlotte Barras (Saracens), Emily Scarratt (Lichfield), Alice Richardson (Richmond), Fiona Pocock (Richmond); Katy McLean (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks) VC, Amy Turner (Richmond); Rochelle Clark (Team Northumbria), Amy Garnett (Saracens), Rosemarie Crowley (Lichfield), Tamara Taylor (Darlington Mowden Park Sharks), Jo McGilchrist (Wasps), Heather Fisher (Worcester), Margaret Alphonsi (Saracens), Catherine Spencer (Bristol). Replacements: Emma Croker (Richmond), Sophie Hemming (Bristol), Becky Essex (Richmond), Sarah Beale (Lichfield), La Toya Mason (Richmond), Rachael Burford (Richmond), Michaela Staniford (Wasps).