Key events
- 2 hours ago
Full time: England 41-5 Australia
- 2 hours ago
TRY! England 41-5 Australia (Packer, 80)
- 2 hours ago
TRY! England 34-5 Australia (Matthews, 65′)
- 2 hours ago
TRY! England 29-5 Australia (Cokayne, 52′)
- 3 hours ago
TRY! England 24-5 Australia (Ward, 43′)
- 3 hours ago
Back on the road! England 19-5 Australia
- 3 hours ago
Half: England 19-5 Australia
- 3 hours ago
TRY! England 19-5 Australia (Chancellor, 40′)
- 3 hours ago
TRY! England 19-0 Australia (Packer, 38′)
- 3 hours ago
TRY! England 12-0 Australia (Packer, 31′)
- 3 hours ago
YELLOW CARD! England – Australia 7-0 (Parry, 28′)
- 4 hours ago
YELLOW CARD! England – Australia 7-0 (Aldcroft, 16′)
- 4 hours ago
TRY! England 7-0 Australia (Hunter, 8′)
- 4 hours ago
Start! England 0-0 Australia
- 5 hours ago
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Thank you so much for joining me in this quarter final, whether it’s staying up to watch it or starting your day early! England were in dire straits for victory over Australia, but despite the scoreline, they were challenged by their opposition. The Red Roses continue and will play either Canada or the USA, this quarter-final kicking off at 3.30am GMT. Have a great rest of your weekend!
This is the ninth time that England have reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup, a familiar stage for them!
Player of the match Marlie Packer told ITV: “This is all about him [my son. I am here to do a job with England and to put those performances on, not just for me or Oliver but for the team.
“Australia were fantastic today but we will build from this to the next one.”
And on her progression: “I love the game, it drives me. For anyone to get involved, your local club at grassroots. Even if you don’t aspire to play for your country.”
England head coach Simon Middleton told ITV: “I don’t think we could have imagined how difficult the conditions were going to be. I thought we managed the game brilliantly.
“Sarah Hunter, record performance and that is so Sarah. It would have been so easy to get distracted but she turned it on. Marlie, another player on the march. You could go through the whole match, Bern on her 5oth had a great game.”
And on squad for semi: “To be honest we will have a look on how everyone has gone and how they brush up tomorrow It is a six day turn around. Canada or USA it’s going to be physical either way.”
A real highlight of England’s game today was their domination at the scrum. Given the amount of handling errors there were a lot of the set pieces and England managed to push Australia backwards time and time again.
England captain Sarah Hunter told ITV: “I think the thing that tops it all off has been the win. That is the focus, we are in knock-out rugby… Winning in this means the record cap number is even sweeter… It has been so surreal, I have had the most amazing support.
“Never in a million years [did I think I would break the record]. I just wanted a cap. I just wanted to play in England. I kept watching, it’s like an addiction. The feeling of playing for your country… hopefully there’s more to come.”
On the match: “It was about making sure we got that victory. We managed to assert ourselves, Australia was tough but I’m happy with how we got through it.”
England are through, but they still don’t know who they will face as the final quarter-finals are just around the corner. Canada plays the USA and the winner will be England.
Australian players embrace as their World Cup journey comes to an end It must be heartbreaking but England were just too much for them today.
Full time: England 41-5 Australia
England secure their semi-final with a business performance against Australia. The first half was complicated with the conditions but they will take the victory.
TRY! England 41-5 Australia (Packer, 80)
Packer has his hat-trick as he collects the reward of the driving maul. Rowland converts!
Updated at 02.22 GMT
79 min: Botterman strikes in attack, handling errors are always the weak link in England’s game. But they advance again as they go through the phases, but again it is called for a deliberate strike. Rowland kicks in the corner as England look to see it through with a try.
77 min: Australia win the scrum penalty, but all the good work is undone in one fell swoop. England’s scrum restarts, but eventually they get out.
75 min: England charge it but Australia do enough to keep it, that’s well done. England play in defense and Australia’s scrum is clean, but they have a loose pass and Davies will have a line-out. It’s good and they’re marching towards the line, but Australia win the penalty! A big penalty for the Aussies and a deserved one, despite the scoreline, their defense held up better than most against England.
72 min: Andy has taken to Twitter to say: “Is it the wind causing all the missed kicks, are England going to the corners or is Scarrett wearing Toblerone boots?” The conditions haven’t been perfect, but Scarratt could have done a lot better with some of those kicks. Something she’ll fine-tune, I’m sure, before the semi-final they’re likely to have now. Australia on the attack.
71 min: Australia are going, but they need to build from deep here. They opt to kick and England hit it in the air and so Australia continue to play with an advantage. They finally pull away and England get it through Kildunne, then M Packer and they keep coming. But it’s a forward pass from Galligan.
69 min: Rowland has another strike, his third of the game. It’s an Australian scrum and they get out of it quickly. They want to hit England here, they just have to be clinical. But Parry loses the ball and England throw it into the field. Kildunne does well to collect, but there is a knock, the Aussie scrum to come. Scarratt is out for Aitchison.
67 min: It’s becoming a real England show now as Australia pile on the mistakes. Kildunne and Galligan are in England.
TRY! England 34-5 Australia (Matthews, 65′)
Well done by Australia to keep England out for long and not to give away a penalty in that last attack, but England keep calling and Matthews is over. Scarratt’s kick misses.
Updated at 02.05 GMT
63 min: Davies loses it over the line, but Australia give away another penalty. The referee warns them once more, Harrison throws to the corner again.
62 min: England have some play with Matthews getting a break and taking the lead. Harrison throws a cross field shot but Scarratt doesn’t quite collect, we’re back in front and Harrison shoots in the corner. Before the lineup, Infante is out for Packer.
60 min: Botterman thinks he’s grounded it, but the ref is having none of it, saying he spilled it. England are not happy about it and you can see why in the replays. Australia’s goal line drop and England strike again.
58 min: Australia touch through Kemp and England have the scrum, much to Packer’s delight, which is picked up on the referee’s microphone. There’s a reset, but England is off and away. Pauline Piliae-Rasabale receives the throw but it goes straight offside.
56 min: Muir and Botterman are also in Bern and Corborough in England. Australia win a penalty for breakdown with Botterman immediately conceding. Leonard is also out for Naiqama. Rowland is spilled once again and Australia will have the scrum.
54 min: England make their first changes as Davies and Cleall come on for Cokayne and Hunter. Australia are building from deep here.
TRY! England 29-5 Australia (Cokayne, 52′)
Packer gets off the back of the maul and unloads on Cokayne, who points down. Scarratt is missing again.
Updated at 01.51 GMT
52 min: Robinson gives away a penalty and England clear their lines. The starting line is clean and England are marching forward here. Harrison makes a cross-field shot but England were playing with an advantage. They kick in the corner.
49 min: There’s a short break in play before it resumes with some changes for Australia – Robinson is in for Patu and Korpani is in for O’Gorman.
49 min: England go but Rowland goes down and Australia have the scrum. England have a big push, but Australia still get away with it. I have to say that Australia look more confident with a wide ball in their hands, just as I write that they touch. Classical commentators curse.
47 min: The kicking game comes into play and Harrison misses with the fly half dropping badly as he looks to pass. An Australian scrum is clean and they’re on the run! But a forward pass sets them back and England have the scrum.
45 min: Australia on the attack here, first chance of the half. But they touch and England look to counter.
TRY! England 24-5 Australia (Ward, 43′)
And just as I’m talking about Australia’s defence, the TMO rules that Ward’s shot was not held! Scarratt’s kick misses.
Updated at 01.41 GMT
43 min: Go, go, go, go. England’s players cheer like crazy, but Australia hold them back. Australia’s defense is really impressive here, yes England have some tries but Australia have stopped many chances. The TMO has detected something to check.
42 min: England show the attack early in the second half with Heard and Thompson brilliant so far. Scarratt flicks the ball across and Dow says it’s an England line-out. The driving maul to come…
Back on the road! England 19-5 Australia
Can Australia capitalize on this try? Or will England shut this down? We will soon find out…
I saw a tweet from the Rugby World Cup account saying Hunter not only became England’s most capped player in the game, but the most capped female player of all time.
I just checked the time and got really confused because it’s 1:25 here in England. But the clocks went back to 2am, I already mentioned this this morning, but just wanted to note my confusion!
Half: England 19-5 Australia
England will be frustrated to give away that try at the death of the half there, but they are still in control of this one. Two Packer tries and a Hunter score sees…