Francesca McGhie bags hat-trick as Scotland demolish Wales at Women’s Rugby World Cup
The emotion of the Scotland players at full-time here perhaps told you everything you needed to know about the importance of this afternoon.Their buildup to the World Cup has been mired in controversy, with their head coach, Bryan Easson, confirming his departure after this tournament as well as contractual disputes surrounding many of their squad.But all those factors, and all that motivation, blended together to deliver a stunning performance and a significant victory.With the might of Canada and the slightly less problematic Fiji also in Pool B, it was not inconceivable to suggest this was the most important game of the opening weekend, doubling up as a straight shootout for a place in the knockout stages.Games between these two sides are notoriously close; no Scotland supporter needs reminding about Keira Bevan’s 86th-minute penalty that split the sides at the last World Cup.
But this was different, with Scotland magnificent in taking a sizeable step towards the quarter-finals,France grind down Italy in Pool DFrance scored three tries to beat Italy 24-0 in their Women's Rugby World Cup opener in Exeter,After a tight start between the two Pool D teams, Joanna Grisez broke the deadlock in the 27th minute to cross, squeezing through a gap in the Italian defence before grounding and Morgane Bourgeois converted,France almost had a second following a scrappy defensive effort from Italy, but their effort was ruled out after the ball was deemed to have been simultaneously grounded by both Alyssa D'Inca and Bourgeois,The French full-back shortly extended their lead from the tee just before the break and Assia Khalfaoui eventually bagged the second five minutes into the second-half, with Bourgeois converting.
France were then forced to work for their third try, going through 20 phases before Charlotte Escudero, pictured, went over and Bourgeois added the extras.PA MediaEasson perhaps summed it up best.“A performance like that doesn’t really surprise us,” he said.“But it’s extremely satisfying; we were ruthless in attack and defensively we made Wales look pretty ordinary.” He is not wrong: there were times when Wales were made to look sub-par.
They must now, in all probability, defeat Canada and Fiji to qualify unless the latter can pull off a shock against Scotland next Saturday,Their head coach, Sean Lynn, said: “I’ve just said to the players that’s just not good enough,We said we wanted to be physical and credit to Scotland, they bullied us off the park,You can’t start both halves like that,”This was Scotland’s biggest victory over Wales, and their biggest margin of victory in a World Cup game since 1994, with the tone set inside 55 seconds as Francesca McGhie finished a fine move down the left.
It would not be the last time Scotland would exploit that area of the pitch.Wales responded with a try for co-captain Alex Callender but the greater moments of dominance on the gainline belonged to Scotland.They went back ahead when McGhie claimed her second before Leia Brebner-Holden finished another patient piece of attacking play after Wales initially halted a break in midfield.A penalty from Bevan either side of the second and third Scottish tries kept it mildly in the balance at the break, with Wales trailing by nine.But when McGhie completed her hat-trick in a carbon copy of her first try to clinch the bonus point, the writing was very much on the wall for Wales.
Sign up to The BreakdownThe latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewedafter newsletter promotionScotland Rollie, Lloyd, Orr, Thomson (Blacklock 68), McGhie, Nelson, Brebner-Holden (Mattinson 53); Bartlett (Wright 61), Skeldon (Martin 47), Clarke (Cockburn 38), Wassell (Donaldson 72), Bonar (Konkel 60), Malcolm, McLachlan (Stewart 60), Gallagher.Tries McGhie 3, Brebner-Holden, Gallagher, Orr.Cons Nelson 4.Wales Metcalfe, Joyce, Dallavalle (Cox 47), Keight, Neumann, George (Powell 66), Bevan (Lockwood 61); G Pyrs (Davies 51), Jones (Phillips 51), Rose (Tuipulotu 38), A Pyrs (Fleming 47), Crabb, Williams, Lewis, Callander.Try Callender.
Pen Bevan,Referee Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZ),Attendance 10,054,They survived a 10-minute period without Gwen Crabb, but shortly after she returned Scotland pushed further ahead when Evie Gallagher cut through,There was even time for Emma Orr to add a sixth try with two minutes remaining but by then the damage had long since been done to Wales’s qualification hopes.
Federal Reserve set to cut interest rates – but still Trump won’t be happy
Stocks soared on Friday following the strongest signal yet that US the Federal Reserve is gearing up to start cutting interest rates again this fall. But how long can this celebration last?While Wall Street cheered the biggest headline from the speech by the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, at the annual Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming, Powell also delivered a reality check on where interest rates could settle in the longer term.“We cannot say for certain where rates will settle out over the longer run, but their neutral level may now be higher than during the 2010s,” said Powell.In other words: even if the Fed does start cutting interest rates again this year, they may not fall back to their pre-pandemic levels. It’s a signal, despite the short-term optimism on potential rate cuts, that the Fed’s long-term outlook is more unstable
Wall Street jumps after US Fed’s Powell signals possible rate cut – as it happened
US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has nodded to a possible rate cut at the central bank’s September meeting.However, Powell stopped short of committing to cutting rates next months during a speech to policymakers and economists at the Fed’s annual Jackson Hole conference.He acknowledged the tight rope that policymakers have to walk at a time of potential risks for the US jobs market, while there is the possibility that inflation moves higher.Powell said:The stability of the unemployment rate and other labour market measures allows us to proceed carefully as we consider changes to our policy stance. Nonetheless, with policy in restrictive territory, the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance
Trump says Intel has agreed to give US government a 10% stake
The US government has taken an unprecedented 10% stake in Intel under a deal with the struggling chipmaker and is planning more such moves, according to Donald Trump and the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, the latest extraordinary intervention by the White House in corporate America.Lutnick wrote on X: “BIG NEWS: The United States of America now owns 10% of Intel, one of our great American technology companies. Thanks to Intel CEO @LipBuTan1 for striking a deal that’s fair to Intel and fair to the American People.”Trump met with Lip-Bu Tan on Friday and posed for a photo with Lutnick. The development follows a meeting between Tan and Trump earlier this month that was sparked by the US president’s demand for the Intel chief’s resignation over his ties to Chinese firms
Elon Musk and X reach tentative settlement with laid-off Twitter staff
Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, reached a tentative settlement on Wednesday with former Twitter employees after a years-long legal battle over severance pay. Former staff had sought $500m in a proposed class action suit against the billionaire.A court filing released on Wednesday stated that both parties had reached a settlement agreement in principle and requested that a scheduled 17 September hearing in the case be postponed while they worked to finalize a deal. The filing did not disclose any details of the tentative agreement and it is unclear what level of compensation that former employees may receive.Former Twitter employees, led by Courtney McMillian and Ronald Cooper, alleged that the company failed to appropriately pay thousands of workers severance after conducting mass layoffs
Julia Schell scores six tries as Canada thrash Fiji in Women’s Rugby World Cup
Canada are quietly going about their business as the dark horses of this Rugby World Cup with eyes firmly on the hosts, England, and the defending champions, New Zealand. The team may benefit from flying under the radar with less pressure on their shoulders but it does not make them any less a contender for the trophy. The clinical nature of their opener against Fiji announced their arrival in England in style, particularly through the full-back Julia Schell who was spectacular in the second half as she scored six tries in 21 minutes.Schell’s performance may have inspired girls to pick up a rugby ball but she is used to trying to make change. She grew up playing ice hockey and petitioned at elementary school for women to be able to do open-ice hitting as it was banned
South Africa 30-22 Australia: 2025 Rugby Championship Test – live
The report is in so I’ll get out of here.Thanks all. Well done to the Boks and Handre Pollard for edging that one.Overall I’d give the series to Australia who were magnificent last week and perhaps unlucky here in Cape Town.They’ll fancy themselves for the rest of the Rugby Championship
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