In the build-up to the World Cup matches are coming thick and fast.
For fans in the British Isles two were of special interest: Australia v Wales and Italy v Scotland.
First to Brisbane
This was the first of two tests for Cymru. It could hardly hold more meaning for them after a long string of setbacks.
They started slowly, allowing Codey to accept a low pass close in and burrow over. Typical Oz weather intervened – lightning and rain – causing a 15-minute retreat to safety.
Now Cymru showed their true worth. Two delightful pull-back passes allowed Metcalfe to force her way over and renew confidence.
Metcalfe scored a second try too; on the end of long passes well controlled with a wet ball.
The Wallaroos came back, Tuinakauvadra crossing behind a drive. Could the Welsh keep ahead to the end? That had been one of many past failings.
Yes! George slid a wicked soaking wet grubber to the line and Dallavalle (better known as Hannah Jones), dropped on it. Keira Bevan kicked her third conversion out of three, and the tears, both male and female, started flowing. They may still be.
Now for Sydney.
Result: Australia 12 Wales 21
Teams:
Australia
Lydia Kavoa, Katalina Amosa, Bridie O’Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Anabelle Codey, Emily Chancellor (c), Ash Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Tia Hinds, Desiree Miller, Trilleen Pomare, Georgina Friedrichs, Waiaria Ellis, Caitlyn Halse
Replacements
Tania Naden, Bree-Anna Browne, Eva Karpani, Ash Fernandez, Piper Duck, Sam Wood, Cecilia Smith, Lori Cramer
Wales
15 Nel Metcalfe 14 Jasmine Joyce 13 Hannah Dallavalle 12 Courtney Keight 11 Lisa Neumann 10 Lleucu George 9 Keira Bevan 1 Maisie Davies 2 Kelsey Jones
3 Donna Rose 4 Alaw Pyrs 5 Gwen Crabb 6 Georgia Evans 7 Bethan Lewis 8 Alex Callender (captain)
Replacements
16 Molly Reardon 17 Katherine Baverstock 18 Sisilia Tuipulotu 19 Tilly Vucaj 20 Bryonie King
21 Seren Lockwood 22 Kayleigh Powell 23 Carys Cox
Afterthoughts
This was Kelsey Jones’ 50th cap.
A win, a win, and away from home!
This was an unwelcome setback for Jo Yapp and her team. We must wait till next weekend to discover how the two coaches had worked out their team-choices for the two games.
Italy v Scotland
This was a rare meeting of two Six Nations sides beyond the tournament itself. It took place in Viadana.
Most of the first half played out in a manner familiar to Scottish fans. Their favourites succumbed to all the usual failings: the struggle to gain and retain possession; support arriving a fraction too late, resulting in a string of penalties; the simplest of handling errors made – both passes and catches faulty under no pressure. All too often tackles were only half achieved. Apart from anything else it led to self-inflicted injuries.
The captain, Rachel Malcolm, never spares herself, but she suffered for her pains.
In the early stages they found it next to impossible to manufacture more than a simple one-out pass. When a second was attempted, it was dropped.
It left you wondering what the coaching team had been doing over the summer.
Thank goodness this fragility didn’t last.
It needed yet another Lana Skeldon try from a rolling maul to restore confidence after conceding early points.
The Azzurre back-three enjoyed themselves again, Alyssa D’Inca helping herself to tries.
Before Skeldon’s try D’Inca was given room for her second. Later she was denied a hat-trick only by a call of ‘held up’. That Italian back-three does look mischievous!
Scotland were showing better form before the break; but their response afterwards gave Bryan Easson cause for some satisfaction. More on him later.
Helen Nelson scored a rare try, though her tee-kicking remained fallible. Elis Martin thumped her way over; and Evie Gallagher, always prominent, added two more.
If Scottish defences had proved sounder, that might have been enough to take the day. But a fine try by Beatrice Rigoni, slicing her way between two tackles, helped the Azzurre squeeze home by a single score.
Result: Italy 34 Scotland 29
Teams:
Italy
15. Francesca Granzotto 14. Aura Muzzo 13. Michela Sillari 12. Sara Mannini 11. Alyssa D’Inca 10. Emma Stevanin 9. Sofia Stefan 1. Gaia Maris 2. Vittoria Vecchini 3. Sara Seye 4. Valeria Fedrighi 5. Giordana Duca 6. Francesca Sgorbini 7. Beatrice Veronese 8. Elisa Giordano (Captain)
Replacements
16. Desiree Spinelli 17. Silvia Turani 18. Alessia Pilani 19. Sara Tounesi 20. Ilaria Arrighetti 21. Alia Bitonci 22. Veronica Madia 23. Beatrice Rigoni
Scotland
15. Lucia Scott 14. Rhona Lloyd 13. Evie Wills 12. Lisa Thomson 11. Coreen Grant 10. Helen Nelson 9. Leia Brebner-Holden 1. Leah Bartlett 2. Lana Skeldon 3. Elliann Clarke 4. Emma Wassell 5. Adelle Ferrie 6. Rachel Malcolm – Captain 7. Rachel McLachlan 8. Evie Gallagher
Replacements
16. Elis Martin 17. Molly Wright 18. Lisa Cockburn 19. Eva Donaldson 20. Alex Stewart 21. Caity Mattinson 22. Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh) 23. Chloe Rollie
Afterthoughts
There had been grave disquiet in Scottish ranks on two counts:
1. Malcolm admitted the news of Easson’s intention to retire had surprised them. They felt the timing was ill-considered.
2. The SRU had failed to confirm the contracts of more than half the players, leaving them disquieted about the future. That is par for the course for that union.
Far happier: the match marked the return of Emma Wassell to full working order after serious worries about her health. Hard to recall now that she had set a record for unbroken appearances in blue.
