Australia’s women’s sevens team start with a win over Wales

Australia started the women’s sevens tournament with a win over Wales.

Australia's Ellia Green scores a try against Wales in their women's rugby sevens match at Robina Stadium. Picture: AFP

Australia’s women’s sevens rugby team, the reigning Olympic champions, won’t have to worry about keeping their line intact for the rest of the Commonwealth Games after conceding a try to Wales while cruising to a commanding but jittery 34-5 win at Robina Stadium last night.

The dominant side in women’s sevens in the Olympic year, 2016, and again this year when they have won the only two tournaments so far on the World Series, the Australians surprised observers — indeed, surprised themselves — when they did not concede a try during the Sydney Sevens tournament in January.

Australia had already blitzed Wales by scoring five tries before their opponents stung them back and, appropriately, it was their best player, back Jasmine Joyce, who crossed for the visitors as she fended off winger Ellia Green to cross out wide.

Australia’s Charlotte Caslick is tackled on the tryline by Jasmine Joyce of Wales. Picture: AFP

Moments earlier, Joyce had saved a certain Australian try when she had run down Pearls playmaker Charlotte Caslick right on the tryline, her tackle jolting the ball loose just as the 2016 World Sevens Player of the Year was about to score. No matter, the Australians took control of the ensuing scrum and, two passes later, Green was in for her second try.

With their two main rivals for the gold medal, Canada and New Zealand, laying down early markers with 29-0 and 45-0 victories over South Africa and Kenya respectively in the opening two Commonwealth Games women’s rugby matches ever played, the Australians looked anxious — perhaps overanxious — to display the same confidence at the beginning of this tournament as they had shown in Sydney three months ago.

Within 40 seconds of the kick-off, midfielder Emilee Cherry was sending winger Emma Tonegato scampering away for the first try of the match after Australia has stolen a defensive lineout from the Welsh women. And when Emma Sykes stepped three times off her left foot to create an opening for Vani Pelite, it seemed that the Australians might cut loose.

They did, to a degree, with Green, on as an early replacement for Tonegato, scoring with her first touch, while captain Sharni Williams cranked up her formidable fend to push off a defender, dummying out wide before surging through the gap to give her side a 22-0 halftime lead.

But for those expecting perfection, there were sobering moments. A pass went forward when Alicia Quirk was open for what should have been an easy try while even Caslick knocked on, not that it mattered much since Australia were playing under advantage.

As comprehensive as was the win, it must be acknowledged that Wales do not even have a standing on the World Series ladder.

Green produced the magic moment as Australia survived a huge English scare to emerge unbeaten on the opening night.

The Olympic champions looked out of sorts when trailing 12-5 to England, before Green pulled off a zig-zagging 60m run to cross under the posts and level at halftime. From there the host nation score three unanswered tries to escape with a 29-12 win.