Rugby World Cup: Scotland 12-14 Australia

Helen Nelson takes a footwear for Scotland

Scotland fell to a 2nd Rugby World Cup decision aft a heartbreaking 14-12 nonaccomplishment against Australia successful Whangarei.

Bienne Terita and Ashley Marsters crossed for the Wallaroos, who finished a breathless crippled with 13 players.

Scotland present person to bushed New Zealand adjacent Saturday to support their hopes of progression alive.

• Rugby World Cup: Schedule, results and BBC coverage

Scotland started brightly, led by immoderate fantastic antiaircraft enactment from Emma Orr and Molly Wright, and aft they kicked a punishment into the country a almighty rolling maul saw Skeldon dive implicit for her 2nd effort of this World Cup.

Australia struggled to find immoderate benignant of bushed successful the opening exchanges. Scrappy exits and an inability to consistently get implicit the gain-line were nonstop consequences of Scotland's antiaircraft discipline.

A spell of sustained unit connected the Australia try-line past saw Scotland agelong their lead. Australia hooker Adiana Talakai illegally halted different ominous rolling maul, and referee Lauren Jenner marched nether the posts to grant a punishment try, earlier besides sending Talakai to the sin-bin.

A searing 50m interruption from Eva Karpani did instrumentality Australia into the Scotland 22 arsenic half-time approached, but Scotland held steadfast and went successful astatine the interruption with a deserved 12-0 lead.

Jay Tregonning's squad improved erstwhile the 2nd fractional got nether way, led by immoderate immense carries by Karpani. However, much stubborn antiaircraft enactment from Scotland and a bid of handling errors kept them scoreless.

There is lone truthful agelong earlier possession and territory translates into points though, and Australia got themselves connected the committee with an hr gone. Terita strolled implicit successful the country aft a drawstring of phases wrong the Scotland 22.

Terita was past fortunate not to spot a paper of immoderate colour aft a precocious tackle connected Scotland skipper Rachel Malcolm, and the awesome winger made the astir of her reprieve.

She broke a mates of tackles to instrumentality Australia heavy into Scotland territory, and successful the consequent transition of play Marsters powered implicit to score. Lori Cramer knocked implicit the conversion to enactment Australia successful beforehand for the archetypal time.

Australia were reduced to 14 players aft Marsters was sent disconnected for a unsafe tackle, and past had to play the last stages with conscionable 13 - Talakai saw reddish aft respective penalties went Scotland's way.

With their numerical advantage, Scotland threw everything astatine Australia successful the closing stages but were incapable to find the people which would person secured a celebrated win.

"It's beauteous tough," said Malcolm aft the game. "From an attacking constituent of presumption we showed a batch much than we did past week. I'm truly pleased of the effort and the cognition from the girls today. Our defence kept america successful the game, but it's heartbreaking not to beryllium capable to decorativeness the job."

Scotland: Chloe Rollie; Rhona Lloyd, Emma Orr, Lisa Thomson, Hannah Smith, Helen Nelson, Caity Mattinson; Molly Wright, Lana Skeldon, Christine Belisle, Emma Wassell, Sarah Bonar, Rachel Malcolm (capt), Rachel McLachlan, Jade Konkel.

Replacements: Jodie Rettie, Leah Bartlett, Elliann Clarke, Lyndsay O'Donnell, Mairi McDonald, Sarah Law, Evie Wills, Shona Campbell.

Australia: Lori Cramer; Bienne Terita, Georgina Friedrichs, Sharni Williams, Maya Stewart; Arabella McKenzie, Iliseva Batibasaga; Liz Patu, Adiana Talakai, Eva Karpani, Sera Naiqama, Atasi Lafai, Emily Chancellor, Shannon Parry (captain), Grace Hamilton.

Replacements: Ashley Marsters, Emily Robinson, Bridie O'Gorman, Grace Kemp, Piper Duck, Layne Morgan, Trilleen Pomare, Pauline Piliae-Rasabale.

Referee: Lauren Jenner

Assistants: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Kat Roche

TMO: Lee Jeffrey