Australia’s golden girls claim Dubai crown in style

Dec 4 • General News, International, World Rugby • 2002 Views • Comments Off on Australia’s golden girls claim Dubai crown in style

The Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens team has laid down a huge marker with the Rio 2016 Olympics on the horizon by winning the Dubai Sevens title in stunning fashion.

Tim Walsh’s side lead the fledgling HSBC Women’s World Series after going undefeated throughout the entire two-day event at The Sevens Stadium.

Wins over New Zealand (15-12) and France (26-0) on Day Two preceded a brilliant Cup Final display against a previously red-hot Russia (31-12) as Australia took out their second Dubai title in three years.

Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh said: “The entire Women’s program deserves this result. We’ve trained hard over the past three years but particularly over the past three or four months. It was our day today but it was by no means a fluke. We showed composure and an ability to solve problems on our feet – just like we did in the Cup Final when we fell behind early in the second half.

“The win over New Zealand set the tournament up for us. It’s always unbelievable to beat them. I say that out of respect as, in my eyes, New Zealand is the pinnacle of Rugby Union. We’ve had some incredible games against them, some highs and lows, but it’s never an easy game.

“Who would I pick as a standout player? To be honest, I could rattle off every one of them. Shannon Parry led the pack by example, Amy Turner was spectacular and a real jack-of-all-trades, Charlotte Caslick showed just why she is world-class, Vani Pelite’s attack and defence, Ellia Green’s finishing, Chloe Dalton’s kicking and the impact Gemma Etheridge made as our finisher.”

Australia had been handed the toughest of tasks in the Cup Quarter-Finals when they were paired with current World Series champions New Zealand. The Kiwis were back to their best in the opening half as they raced into a 12-point lead after fine work from Portia Woodman and then Gayle Broughton.

However, Tim Walsh’s charges were given a lifeline just before the half-time siren when Amy Turner crossed over in the left-hand corner after a sustained period of possession. Charlotte Caslick closed the gap to two points with some magic when she danced through the New Zealand defence before Ellia Green was the beneficiary of an Emilee Cherry pass to complete the stunning turnaround.

In the Semi-Final against France, Emma Tonegato eased any nerves in the Australian camp when she broke clear to dot down after just 20 seconds. The 20-year-old winger from Wollongong scored again before the break and Amy Turner wriggled free to extend the Aussies advantage further. Ellia Green continued her fine form when she powered over to put the icing on the cake.

Surprise packets Russia were Australia’s opponents in the Cup Final and were well organised early on. Amy Turner eventually made the pressure tell when she scored on the right before a brilliant offload from Ellia Green released Nicole Beck to cross over.

However, Russia showed their pedigree as two quick tries threatened a boilover but their joy was shortlived as Ellia Green sprinted 50 metres on the left to score within a minute. Further tries to Emilee Cherry and Evania Pelite put the exclamation mark on a thoroughly convincing display.

Australia were forced to play the Cup Final with only ten players available with forwards Sharni Williams (knee) and Chloe Dalton (arm) ruled out. Both will undergo further assessment next week upon their return to Sydney.

England claimed third spot in Dubai after beating France (10-5) in sudden death extra-time while New Zealand eventually saw off Canada (24-19) in the Plate Final to take fifth.

The second leg of the HSBC Women’s Sevens Series heads to the Arena Barueri in Sao Paulo, Brazil on the weekend of 20-21 February 2016.

Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens results in Dubai, UAE, 3-5 December:
Australia 29-7 Spain, Pool C
Australia 43-0 Japan, Pool C
Australia 24-7 England, Pool C
Australia 15-12 New Zealand, Cup Quarter-Final
Australia 26-0 France, Cup Semi-Final
Australia 31-12 Russia, Cup Final

Final placings for the Dubai Sevens and current 2015-16 HSBC Women’s World Series standings (Top 6): 1. Australia (22 World Series points), 2. Russia (19 points), 3. England (17 points), 4. France (15 points), 5. New Zealand (13 points), 6. Canada (12 points)

Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens squad for the Dubai Sevens at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, UAE:
1. Shannon Parry. Place of Birth: Brisbane, QLD
2. Sharni Williams. Place of Birth: Batlow, NSW. Hometown: Canberra, ACT
3. Nicole Beck. Place of Birth: Bulli, NSW
4. Gemma Etheridge. Place of Birth: Tamworth, NSW. Hometown: Toowoomba, QLD
5. Emma Tonegato. Place of Birth: Wollongong, NSW
6. Evania Pelite. Place of Birth: Brisbane, QLD
7. Charlotte Caslick. Place of Birth: Brisbane, QLD
8. Chloe Dalton. Place of Birth: Singapore. Hometown: Mona Vale, NSW
9. Amy Turner. Place of Birth: Tokoroa, NZ
10. Alicia Quirk. Place of Birth: Wagga Wagga, NSW
11. Emilee Cherry. Place of Birth: Roma, QLD. Hometown: Toowoomba, QLD
12. Ellia Green. Place of Birth: Suva, Fiji. Hometown: Melbourne, VIC

Photo credit: World Rugby