Australia women’s coach Tim Walsh and three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick didn’t shy away from the disappointment of Sunday’s shock loss in the Cape Town Semi-Finals. With a spot in the big dance on the line, the defending HSBC SVNS Series champions lost to the USA 24-19.
With a new-look competition format shaking up the competition at SVNS Cape Town, Australia’s 45-5 demolition of Thalia Costa’s Brazil and a clinical 26-10 win over Olympic silver medallists Canada was enough to book them a spot in the final four.
Any team would’ve usually played four matches before competing in that stage of the competition, but the Aussies’ third fixture in the Western Cape proved to be an educational defeat. One week on from their title triumph in Dubai, the Aussies seemed to take control early in the second term.
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Tia Hinds and Faith Nathan had both crossed for a try each during the first seven-minute period, while Ariana Rasmey’s effort saw the USA get on the scoreboard as well. Australia led 12-7 at the half, but try-scoring phenomenon Maddison Levi extended their lead just after the break.
The Australians led 19-7 with less than six minutes to play, but their underdog opponents never gave up and they were rewarded for that in the end. Nia Toliver scored a decisive double which included an effort in the 14th minute, and Alyssa Porter also helped inspire the comeback.
“Too many errors. From the restart… one didn’t go 10, two out on the full, and then some missed tackles,” Walsh said on RugbyPass TV’s HSBC SVNS Embedded Episode 4.
“You can’t make that many errors in a game of sevens and expect to win a game. We showed some good character at times (but) consistency is what sevens is about and you can’t make those many errors and expect to be in a Final.”
Toliver stepped inside Australia captain Isabella Nasser before beating another defender to score a sublime try in the 10th minute. The 26-year-old showed strength and pace to score the points the Americans so desperately needed with four minutes and 16 seconds left.
Porter was next to cross for a try, with the SVNS Series newcomer scoring her third career try at a crucial stage of this contest. Kayla Canett sent a cross-field kick towards Sarah Levy near the left sideline, but the loose ball ended up finding its way to Porter who ran in untouched.
With time quickly running out, the USA opted for a scrum off a penalty with 50 seconds left. The ball went Toliver’s way, who ended up beating Nathan for pace before beating tackle attempts from Maddison Levi and Hinds to score the match-winner.
“It definitely wasn’t the best end to the two weeks that we had away,” Caslick reflected after walking down the tunnel at DHL Stadium.
“We didn’t start our games well and then we ended up having to chase all the time so it turned into a bit of chaos out there.
“We just need to be able to execute at the end of the day under pressure in those last few moments but we’ll get there,” she added in a team huddle.
Australia went on to lose the third-place playoff to France.
Maddison Levi scored a double with tries in the fifth and 11th minutes, but France’s red-hot start proved to be the difference in Cape Town. Alycia Chrystianes, Hawa Toukara and Ian Jason all scored, eventually leaving the Aussies with a fourth-place finish at the SVNS Series stop.
