The Wallaroos hit the ground at a gallop against Samoa, kicking off with a 73-0 win at Salford Community Stadium - their biggest win ever at a World Cup.
Scoring inside the first two minutes, the Wallaroos never looked back, running in seven tries in the first half to lead 45-0 at halftime.
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The Samoans fought back well in the second half to stem the flow and ask questions, but the women in gold held strong, their defence rewarded with a fast finish.
So what did we learn?
The Wallaroos attacking strength was on full display, their rout of Samoa becoming their best ever win at a World Cup.
The result saw them push 11 points clear of their previous record, a 62-0 win over South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.
However, it could’ve been even better for the women in gold, with Maya Stewart only needing one try to overtake Lori Cramer to become the highest scoring Wallaroo ever.
Unfortunately, while she wouldn’t get over the white chalk, her NSW teammate Desiree Miller had a brilliant day, scoring a hat-trick in the first half.
This brings her total try tally to 12 tries, just four shy of Stewart’s current try scoring record.
The Wallaroos knew that the Samoans would quickly turn to their physicality, focusing on it in the lead up to the match.
The biggest positive for the women in gold was not just how they absorbed the Samoan fire, but how they matched it.
It was a physical, fast performance, with Jo Yapp’s side starving their opposition of possession, and attacking the ruck and breakdown.
Even more impressive, the Wallaroos’ line speed shut down the Samoan attack, with the women in blue struggling going wide.
Granted, it wasn’t perfect, with the Wallaroos getting pinged on several occasions in the second half at the ruck.
But after the likes of Avau Filimaua and Utumalama Atonio pumped off players across the match, to see brutal defensive replies from Eva Karpani, Faliki Pohiva, Kaitlan Leaney and Emily Chancellor shows how much the Wallaroos’ physicality is advancing.
The Wallaroos may have had their scoring stalled in the second half by a resilient Samoan fight back, but it was moments when the women in blue asked serious questions that the improved conditioning showed its worth.
The first half saw the Wallaroos manage possession and field position well, taking every chance on offer and coming up with points.
The side’s defence held up well in the second half after nearly 20 minutes being stuck in their own half, with the motor seeing the side score three tries in the final 15 minutes.
Emily Chancellor, among other players, has been quick to praise the advancement of the Wallaroo program throughout the year and the time the side have spent together.
The 73 points scored showed how valuable it is to see the team grow.
There was plenty to like for Jo Yapp’s side, with several players continuing on from strong form shown in the lead up to the World Cup.
Samantha Wood showed how strong Australia’s scrumhalf stocks are growing, her fast ball keeping the Wallaroos on the front foot.
Faliki Pohiva also had one of her best games in her young career, making several great carries and combining well with Eva Karpani at scrum time. Adiana Talakai impressed off the bench, with two tries of her own.
Caitlyn Halse also proved effective despite having a mixed day with the boot, proving instrumental in several tries and scoring a double for her efforts.
However, the best performer was not one of the next generation, but from a stalwart of the side for many years, inside centre Cecilia Smith.
Reuniting with her 2024 centre partner Georgina Friedrichs, Smith thrived off Moleka’s strong passing game, breaking the Samoan line on several occasions, with her try in the 52nd minute a well deserved reward for her efforts.
The 73 points scored will delight Jo Yapp, but what might impress the head coach even more is the zero next to it.
The result sees the Wallaroos top Pool A after their first match on points differential.
The Samoans threatened to score on several occasions, making a dangerous play in the 18th minute before a strong Karpani tackle shut it down.
The Wallaroos also had to defend on their line for extended periods on both sides of the half time break, with the crowd getting behind the underdogs.
The second half saw nearly 20 minutes of the Wallaroos camped in their own half, with their defence challenged and bent on several occasions.
But, it was never broken.
A result like that will be crucial for the Wallaroos confidence, and with the challenging fixtures ahead, Yapp will take a lot out of that goose egg as she prepares the squad for the USA.
