Australia 92-0 France: Jillaroos break all-time winning record at World Cup
Australia not only sealed their place in the women’s World Cup semi-finals, but also broke the all-time winning record in the competition following their 92-0 demolition of France.
The Jillaroos, who are the defending champions, were intent on making a statement and scored 18 points inside the first 10 minutes.
Shenae Ciesiolka forced her way over in the second minute while Jaime Chapman followed suit moments later.
Sydney Roosters star Jess Sergis capitalised on a six-again call and went in for the Jillaroos third of the match.
Australian fans were treated to four more tries over the course of the next nine minutes. Chapman bagged her second down the left while Tarryn Aiken capitalised on a kick over the top from Ciesiolka to score.
Sergis and Tonegato were the other try scorers as the Aussies moved 42-0 ahead inside the opening 20 minutes.
The try scoring pace of the Jillaroos eventually eased, though that didn’t stop them from extending their advantage.
Captain Tallisha Harden stamped her name on the scoresheet following a drop-off pass from Lauren Brown. Moments later Evania Pelite scored a try of her own.
Four minutes before the end of the half, Sergis broke away from the French defence before touching down for her hat-trick.
Australia “on another level” after being 58-0 ahead at half-time
A half-time team talk at 58-0 down was certainly a difficult moment for Vincent Baloup, though he didn’t blame his players, telling BBC Sport that the Aussies were simply on another level.
The Jillaroos reaffirmed that notion a minute into the restart as Sergis grabbed her fourth.
Just four minutes later, Robinson was over for her first of the match as Australia took full advantage of an overlap.
Brad Donald’s team did take their foot off the gas and it took them 10 minutes before they scored another effort. When they eventually found their 13th try, it was interchange Olivia Kernick who got over the whitewash.
Chapman completed her hat-trick in the 62nd minute while Robinson quickly followed with scores in the 66th and 73rd minute.
That last effort made it 88-0 as Brown pulled her conversion wide. The Australians needed just one more point to break the world record and they began to turn up the screw.
With a minute and a half remaining, the record was finally broken as Pelite crossed for her second of the match.
The previous record was held by both Australia and New Zealand. The Jillaroos beat Canada 88-0 in 2017 while the Kiwi Ferns thrashed France by the same scoreline in 2013.
France: Samarra; Canal, Fourcroy, Biville, Guillerot; Ciria, Varela; Mansard, Ramos, Bernard, Akpa, Monsarrat, Samarra. Subs: Michel, Pacull, Borak, Kuresa.
Tries: Goals:
Australia: Tonegato; Robinson, Sergis, Chapman, Ciesiolka; Fuimaono, Aiken; Harden, Brown, Cherrington, Clydsdale, Bent, Joseph. Subs: Mato, Wheeler, Kernick, Pelite.
Tries: Ciesiolka, Chapman (3), Sergis (4), Aiken, Tonegato, Harden, Pelite (2), Robinson (3), Kernick Goals: Brown 10, Wheeler 1, Aiken 1
Attendance: 3,006
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