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The Wallaroos ran away with a clear 56-12 WXV Global Series victory over Scotland, giving Sydney fans plenty to cheer about on a perfect afternoon in the Harbor City.
Australia won by 20 points over the same opponent at the end of last month in Edinburgh, in the first of three consecutive meetings with the Scots.
Scotland actually kicked first at the Accor Stadium, with Katie Buchanan quickly changing direction during a quick clearance to the try-line in the fourth minute.
But the Wallaroos hit back moments later through Brittany Merlo’s hook which set off an avalanche of points for the Women in Gold. Outside backs Maya Stewart, Desiree Miller and Amelia Whitaker each scored a try in the first half, as did Waiaria Ellis.
Miller raced over for her second of the afternoon just two minutes into the second half, and Whitaker made it a double soon after. Eva Karpani celebrated her 49th Test appearance with a last-minute try to round off an emphatic performance by the Wallaroos.
The electric fullbacks produce an attacking masterclass
Maya Stewart missed the European leg of the WXV Global Series due to injury, but the prolific scorer is back in the mix this week. Stewart joined NSW Waratahs teammates Amelia Whitaker and Desiree Miller at outside backs.
Front rower Brittany Merlo struck first for the home side, before the back three made their mark by piling up the points. It was a dominant first half, with the Wallaroos leading by 30 at the break, after five tries to one.
Stewart ran untouched down the right sideline in the 20th minute, and Miller was the first Wallaroo to pass to the scorer. Miller crossed to make it five less than 10 minutes later, before fullbacks Whitaker and Waiaria Ellis completed a dominant first half.
Miller topped the charts at halftime with 80 rushing yards, but Whitaker and Stewart weren’t too far behind. The Wallaroos have world class backs to choose from and the three starters gave the Aussie crowd plenty to cheer about.
Halves Samantha Wood and Ellis drove the team around the park, centers Faitala Moleka and Georgina Friedrichs made the difference and the flyers were electric out wide. The backs didn’t just create space, they were good enough to capitalize.
Whitaker topped the full-time break charts and the NSW Waratahs Player of the Year finished with a brace. Miller also kicked two goals as the Wallaroos put on a show in their second-to-last Test of the season.
Samantha Wood is a true X-factor
Scotland fired out of the blocks with Katie Buchanan racing to the opening points on five minutes. But the Wallaroos seemed to regain control of the match fairly quickly, with scrum-half Samantha Wood leading the charge.
Wood emerged as first choice No. 9 ahead of Women’s 2025 Rugby World Cup and has held that position ever since. This 22-year-old also appeared in the tournament as the team’s goal-scoring ace, which turned out to be decisive against USA in playing pool.
Fast forward to now and Wood’s influence cannot be overstated, with the Western Force half-back offering a real X-factor in a star-studded Test side. The Wallaroos dominated both possession and territory against Scotland, and turned that into points too.
Wood steered the team around the park in attack, helping the Wallaroos exploit space with quick thinking and accurate passing. The now 20-Test international put in some challenging shots on the posts and proved effective when kicking for touch.
Amelia Whitaker, Maya Stewart and Desiree Miller stood out, but Wood changed the game. The Wallaroos unearthed a gem ahead of last year’s World Cup and Wood continues to repay the faith time and time again.
Gallagher’s tireless effort shines through
The Wallaroos ran away with a big win at home, but Scotland player Evie Gallagher still managed to stand out. Gallagher was well ahead in tackles up to 50 minutes, having made 17 stops without conceding an effort.
Gallagher was also tied for first at that stage in total carries with 10, level with inside center Faitala Molek, second rower Kaitlan Leaney and former Black Fern forward Wallaroos forward Pia Tapsell.
To put it all into context, Scotland only threw the ball 60 times as a team. Scotland had 42 per cent of possession and less than 45 per cent of territory, but Gallagher never seemed to stop running at the Accor Stadium.
Australia seemed to grow in confidence as the match wore on, but the Scots refused to throw in the towel. Traffic was one way in favor of the Wallaroos but the Scots continued to throw the ball when they could and Gallagher was particularly noticeable.
