US wins big to stay in contention for Women's Rugby World Cup quarterfinals

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The United States delivered the big win it needed Saturday to stay in contention for the quarterfinals of the Women's Rugby World Cup.

The Eagles scorched Samoa 60-0 in York with 10 tries. They're vying with Australia for the last spot in the quarterfinals.

For now, the U.S. and Australia were tied on points, behind already-qualified England.

If Australia loses to England by at least 76 points later Saturday in Brighton and doesn't get a bonus point, the U.S. will advance on points difference.

“It's going to be tight. I'll be cheering for England,” U.S. captain Kate Zackary said. “At the end of day we put our whole hearts on the line, that's all I can ask for. Wherever the chips fall, we'll pick up the pieces tomorrow.”

Flanker Freda Tafuna scored four tries. Tafuna was given a hat trick against Australia in their 31-31 draw last weekend but, post-match, one of her tries was given to prop Hope Rogers, the Eagles' most capped player.

Rogers scored two more against Samoa.

Tafuna started the Americans' points chase with a try from her own half in the sixth minute.

The Eagles had the four-try bonus point by the 27th. But with points so badly needed, McKenzie Hawkins was replaced as the goalkicker after missing her first three attempts and Gabriella Cantorna took over. She landed five of seven.

Samoa, playing its first World Cup in 11 years, was spirited and fought to the end. It enjoyed a purple patch while U.S. replacement wing Kristen Bitter was in the sin-bin, but the Eagles were just as determined not to concede. Flanker Georgie Perris-Redding stripped Samoa in a tackle between her own posts, and Zackary made a try-saving tackle on Samoa's Taytana Pati Ah-Cheung.

Tafuna's fourth try sent the U.S. past 50 points in a World Cup match for the first time in 15 years.

Canada moved into the quarterfinals unbeaten by overpowering Scotland in Exeter.

Underdog Scotland made Canada miss 27 tackles, but Canada always found another gear to slip into, especially through its pack.

Of Canada's six tries, five were scored by front-rowers and a penalty try came from a pushover attempt that was illegally collapsed by Scotland. Canada hooker Emily Tuttosi was the player of the match for scoring twice.

Both teams had already qualified for the quarterfinals after beating Fiji and Wales. As the winner of Pool B, Canada's last-eight opponent will be England, Australia or the United States, who were all playing later. Scotland will play the winner of Pool A, expected to be England.

Prop McKinley Hunt opened Canada's scoring, and Scotland replied through wing Rhona Lloyd in their only visit to the 22 in the first half.

Hunt would have had a second try but the ball was cynically jolted from her grasp by Scotland No. 8 Evie Gallagher, who was yellow-carded. Scotland's seven-woman scrum was then monstered by Canada's for the penalty try.

Canada then swept from halfway for Tuttosi to reach out and score for 19-5 at halftime.

Gallagher returned from the sin-bin in the second half to score from a great attacking line and trail 19-12, but Canada's forwards took charge again with tries by Tuttosi and replacement props Brittany Kassil and Olivia DeMerchant.

In between, Scotland wing Francesca McGhie scored her sixth try of the tournament, tying Canada's Julia Schell for the tournament lead.

Fiji held on to win a thriller in Exeter and extend Wales' longest World Cup losing streak to six matches with William, the Prince of Wales, in attendance.

Fiji dominated the first half to lead 28-15 at halftime. But Wales controlled the second and scored two more tries and had another disallowed for a knock-on over the try-line. That seemed a harsh call by Television Match Official Andrew McMenemy against Carys Cox as video showed no obvious separation from the ball.

In spite of that, Wales' failure to convert its five tries was decisive, as Litiani Vueti converted all four of Fiji’s.

Keira Bevan missed all four of her conversion attempts — one was charged down — and Lleucu George missed the last.

Fijiana center Josifini Neihamu starred with two tries on the back of her forwards' power, and the last-minute jackal just meters from her own try-line that secured the victory.

The victory from the first international between the teams was not just a boon for the Fijiana, who are appearing at only their second World Cup, but also their coach Ioan Cunningham, who coached Wales from 2021-24 and to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2022.

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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby