Pool A: USA 31-31 Australia
Second place in Pool A will go to the wire
Here, as promised, was the captivating arm-wrestle we had been waiting for. Second place in Pool A behind England was on the line, and both teams threw everything into an utterly compelling match that boasted a barely believable script. Neither side deserved to lose, so a draw was the right result, and second place will most likely come down to points difference in the final round after Samantha Wood missed a conversion to win it for Australia five minutes from time.
While Australia must face England next week, the USA have a less demanding task against Samoa, against whom the Wallaroos racked up a 73-0 score. It might go down to the wire. The brilliant wing Desiree Miller scored twice for the Wallaroos, while Freda Tafuna was credited with a hat-trick, although the No 6 said the third of those was in fact scored by Hope Rogers. A late try by Erica Jarrell-Searcy, plus that disputed fifth, looked to have won it for the USA before Eva Karpani's try levelled it for Australia.
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