'statement' Wins And 'special' Crowds - World Cup Talking Points

The opening information of fixtures astatine nan Women's Rugby World Cup featured grounds wins and grounds attendances.

It showcased nan fabulous footwork of England's Ellie Kildunne, a six-try Julia Schell performance, and nan return of New Zealand World Cup fable Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

From important wins for hosts England, Ireland and Scotland, to battling performances from minnows Fiji, Spain and Brazil, location was plentifulness to drawback nan eye.

Here are 5 talking points from nan opening weekend.

Big-hitters England, Canada and New Zealand each started pinch immense wins.

Hosts and favourites England scored 11 tries to hit Ilona Maher's United States 69-7 successful nan tournament's opener connected Friday night.

After vocalist Anne-Marie shone successful nan opening ceremony, world subordinate of nan twelvemonth Kildunne stood retired connected nan pitch.

She produced nan infinitesimal of nan lucifer by kicking nan shot - for illustration an England Lioness - done USA full-back Bulou Mataitoga's legs connected her measurement to a superb solo try.

Prop guardant Hannah Botterman besides starred arsenic England produced a connection win.

Even so, location was still a consciousness of much to come, pinch caput coach John Mitchell insisting England "will get better" and beryllium moreover much clinical.

That's a scary thought for nan different teams successful nan tournament, particularly nan Red Roses' adjacent opponents Samoa, who they look connected Saturday (17:00 BST).

World number 2 broadside Canada were arsenic awesome arsenic they thrashed Fiji 65-7 pinch winger Schell scoring a staggering six tries successful nan 2nd half.

After nan lucifer Schell said a protagonist had stake her $200 she wouldn't score. "I request to spell and speak to him," she said.

Holders New Zealand swept past Spain 54-8 contempt playing nan last 4th of their lucifer pinch only 13 players.

World Cup grounds try-scorer Woodman-Wickliffe went complete for nan 21st clip successful nan competition, while 21-year-old flanker Jorja Miller crossed doubly to corroborate her position arsenic a superstar successful nan making.

Three-time semi-finalists Australia, who are successful England's pool, walloped Samoa 73-0 for nan biggest World Cup triumph successful their history, hinting that nan Wallaroos could beryllium contenders this year.

South Africa skipped past debutants Brazil 66-6 and Ireland hit Japan 42-14.

In fact, nan closest lucifer successful position of points complete nan play was France's 24-0 triumph against Italy, and moreover that was a ascendant shut-out betwixt 2 Six Nations rivals.

Around nan grounds, plentifulness of neutrals were backing underdogs arsenic nan spread successful value betwixt teams started to show.

There was a wall of sound successful support of nan amateur Fijians erstwhile they scored a second-half effort against Canada done Kolora Lomani.

Brazil, playing conscionable their 17th Test match, were shouted connected loudly erstwhile they collected their first World Cup points done nan footwear of fly-half Raquel Kochhann.

And Spain had nan York Community Stadium crowd connected their feet erstwhile Ines Antolinez crossed for a memorable effort successful overtime against six-time winners New Zealand.

"We came present trying to get nan girls successful Spain to beryllium inspired by us," said caput coach Juan Gonzalez. "So we are really happy pinch [that try]."

In each fixture barroom 1 location was a consciousness of an established broadside sticking to nan book against a little established rugby nation.

That was isolated from for Scotland taking connected Wales. In nan Six Nations this twelvemonth conscionable 3 points separated nan brace successful a 24-21 Scotland win.

But successful nan World Cup this play it was one-way postulation arsenic Scotland brilliantly overcame Wales 38-8.

The World Cup attendance grounds was surgery connected nan opening nighttime arsenic 42,723 watched England hit USA successful Sunderland.

That hit nan 42,579 who saw New Zealand triumph nan last successful 2022 astatine Eden Park.

England fans astatine nan Stadium of Light made a formidable noise, urging nan hosts forward.

"The fans decidedly made a statement. You made that 1 really special," said England's Kildunne aft nan Test.

"Thank you to everybody that came, having rugby successful nan northbound is beautiful typical arsenic well."

The highest attendance for immoderate standalone women's rugby lucifer is 58,498, group erstwhile England hit France astatine Twickenham successful nan 2023 Six Nations.

That is group to beryllium bettered astatine nan World Cup last wherever tickets for nan 82,000-seat Twickenham stadium person sold out, and nan tourney arsenic a full will go nan event's astir attended edition.

Before nan tourney kicked off, World Rugby said 375,000 of nan 470,000 tickets had been sold, 3 times nan number from nan past World Cup successful New Zealand.

There were 10,054 astatine Salford Community Stadium wearing jerseys from galore nations to watch Australia thrash Samoa and Scotland hit Wales, while 7,458 saw New Zealand hit Spain successful York.

One of nan astir awesome performances came from Scotland, who formed speech off-field issues to unafraid a grounds six-try triumph complete Wales.

Scotland's preparations had been beset by subordinate statement uncertainty, but connected Saturday day they wholly outplayed their opposition, helped by a superb hat-trick from erstwhile ballerina Francesca McGhie.

The triumph was saccharine revenge for Scotland who were devastated by a last-minute Wales punishment successful their World Cup opener 3 years ago.

It besides puts them successful a commanding position to declare a spot successful nan quarter-finals, while Wales must realistically hit Canada to support their knockout hopes alive.

"The past 3 years I've had that infinitesimal connected repetition of Keira Bevan slotting location that punishment successful nan past infinitesimal of nan past World Cup," said Scotland skipper Rachel Malcolm.

"This is nan biggest differential we've ever had successful Scotland and Wales history. To put successful a consequence for illustration that conscionable shows nan characteristic successful this team."

Eight years connected from their past World Cup game, Ireland returned pinch a bang by outclassing Japan.

Ireland had endured a daze qualifying elimination, a Six Nations Wooden Spoon and concerns complete funding, accommodation and playing conditions since they past featured connected nan World Cup stage.

Their capacity successful Northampton was made moreover much awesome fixed they were without Six Nations subordinate of nan tourney Aoife Wafer, and only 1 personnel of nan squad - replacement hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald - had antecedently played astatine a World Cup.

"It was amazing, I'm truthful proud of each and each 1 of them," said injured Ireland backmost statement Dorothy Wall.

"It's astir apt 1 of nan champion performances we've ever put successful arsenic a team."

Ireland, who cemented themselves arsenic a squad to watch, play Spain successful their 2nd Pool C crippled connected Sunday earlier a imaginable excavation decider against New Zealand, who they hit in a last-second 29-27 triumph successful Vancouver past year.