Wallaroos complete Scotland sweep as retiring Smith gets standing ovation despite red

Women’s rugby union: Australia 38-31 Scotland

Cecilia Smith ‘sorry’ for red card on final Wallaroos game

The Wallaroos completed their three-game sweep over Scotland with a 38-31 win on Friday in a spicy contest that featured biting accusations and a string of yellow cards.

Australia produced plenty of classy moments in Canberrabut again lacked discipline in tackles and around the ruck to keep the tourists in it. The hosts received four yellow cards, with the retiring centre Cecilia Smith earning two of those to finish her 34-Test career on a red.

Scotland had two players sent to the sin bin and it could have been far uglier if the Wallaroos centre Georgina Friedrichs’ accusations of biting had been verified on review. But the officials saw no evidence and there were no bite marks on Friedrich’s forearm, so the referee waved the complaints away.

The Australian prop Eva Karpani was shown a yellow card for a high shot in her milestone game on her 50th cap, while the impressive teenage fly-half Waiaria Ellis was also sent to the sin bin for slowing down a Scottish charge late in the first half.

The win came as a relief for the retiring pair Emily Chancellor and Smith, with the latter smiling as she received a standing ovation despite being sent off. “I’m really sorry about that, just wanted to go out with a bang I guess,” Smith said as she embraced her daughter, Ruby, after the match. “She’s been there since day one,” said Smith of her daughter. “Having her there at trainings, camps, on the sideline, means so much and I just want to be that role model and show you can do anything if you put your mind to it and put the hard work in.”

A teary Chancellor, former captain and two-time World Cup member, signed off with a win in her 42nd Test after making her debut in 2018. “It’s created so much opportunity for me, so much purpose in my life. I love these girls and what we play for,” she said. “I love what this game has given us: travel the world with great people and create opportunity. You can’t be what you can’t see.”

Victory for Australia followed wins in Sydney and Edinburgh against Scotland. The Wallaroos are now out of action until the side transitions to a full-time operation next year under their new coach, Sione Fukofuka, who has previously coached Scotland.

Australia led 14-0 early but trailed 17-14 at half-time after a string of penalties led to three successive Scottish tries. The Wallaroos regained the ascendancy and surged back ahead 38-24 when the captain, Siokapesi Palu, finished a long-range effort. But after losing Karpani and then Smith, Scotland surged back into the match, although they were unable to find the match-tying converted try on the final play.