Women's Rugby World Cup: Australia thrashes Samoa

1:52 am on 24 August 2025

Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific bulletin editor

Australia's center Cecilia Smith (C) runs with the ball during the Women’s Rugby World Cup pool A match between Australia and Samoa at Salford Community Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)

Australia's centre Cecilia Smith (C) runs with the ball during the Women’s Rugby World Cup pool A match between Australia and Samoa at Salford Community Stadium in Manchester. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP

Australia's Wallaroos have started with a hiss and a roar at the Women's Rugby World Cup, hammering Manusina Samoa 73-0 in their opening game at Salford Community Stadium in Manchester.

Australia started the game strongly and scored a try inside two minutes from a rolling maul.

The Wallaroos had the better of possession and territory for the first half, scoring three tries in the first 10 minutes. Manusina struggled with discipline and this came to a head with a yellow card to prop Ana Mamea about halfway through the first stanza.

Samoa's deepest strike in the first half came late as they closed to within metres of the Wallaroos' line. The ball was lost and they came back for a penalty, but it was reversed after a dangerous clean-out was called against Samoa.

The score was 45-0 at halftime.

Samoa coach Mata'afa Ramsey Tomokino rung the changes at halftime, and Manusina had a good run of possession early in the second half. They made it to the tryline but lost the ball over the line before coming back for a penalty, but the attack came to an end as Australia turned it over.

The first score after the break came from Wallaroos skipper Cecilia Smith, who has Samoan heritage, scoring a try in the 52nd minute.

Samoa had more possession in the second half, but lost opportunities inside the Australian half.

Samoa played the final few minutes with 14 players after Melina Salale was pinged for head contact in a tackle. The yellow card was sent to review and was upgraded to a 20-minute red card due to a high degree of danger and no mitigation.

The Wallaroos scored two more tries with Salale off the field and the game ended with the score at 73-0, eleven tries to none.

Manusina captain Sua Pauaraisa told Sky Sport they knew it was going to be tough.

"Very disappointed with the result today but it's always hard coming against teams like this that have been playing test matches and have been here before," she said.

"For us we go back on the drawing board - we'll work again leading up to England and our last pool game."

She became emotional as she spoke of leading the team and putting her body on the line for her country.

"Just being far away from families and my kids back at home - it is disappointing but I know we will be better."

Australian co-captain and player of the match Cecilia Smith said they knew Samoa were physical so they tried to spread the ball out wide.

"I think we just went out there and stuck to our own game plan," she said.

"Starting debut at a world cup - pretty surreal feeling, and to get to play against my homeland makes it even more special."

Fellow Wallaroos co-captain Emily Chancellor said she was pleased with the way they played the ball.

"We wanted to start fast - that's something we've been working on," she said.

"In the second half we had to hold on while they did some strong attack."

The Women's Rugby World Cup kicked off on Saturday morning, New Zealand time, with hosts and favourites England playing the USA.

England had won 57 of their last 58 games coming into the tournament and were untroubled by the USA Eagles, running out 69-7 winners.

New Zealand are the two-time defending world champions but it took a late line-out steal for them to upset the Red Roses in Auckland last time around.