The Netherlands was just a step away from reaching the very top of the WXV Global Series Challenger, but Fijiana ended up taking the trophy home. Unfortunately, the Spain vs Brazil match was ultimately cancelled after the round was rescheduled due to extreme weather conditions, leaving no time for Las Leonas to play their final game.
As for the WXV Global Series, England beat the Black Ferns 26-19, while France, who put up one of their best performances of the year, came out victorious against Canada 21-5.
Oranje Women just four points from making history
In the end, Fijiana reigned supreme, beating the Netherlands 20-17, with the Women Oranje fighting hard to make history but coming just four points short.
The Pacific Islanders had a strong start to the game, clinching twelve points in under ten minutes. Varanisese Qoro called the shots and created several plays that caught the Dutch defence by surprise on a handful of times.
With the Netherlands scrum withstanding heavy pressure, it would take almost 35 minutes for the European side to settle. With just a few minutes to go before the break, the Dutch finally found their first breakthrough. After a thundering driving maul, flanker Elisabeth Boot found a gap and went solo before reaching the whitewash, giving her team a morale boost.
Red Roses survive the Black Ferns challenge
A try in the dying seconds saved the Red Roses from conceding their second draw in two weeks, with Zoe Harrison coming to her team’s rescue and helping England overcome the Black Ferns 26-19.
The current Women’s Rugby World Cup title holders were the first to change the scoreboard, following a finish by Claudia MacDonald on the corner. However, the Black Ferns hit back twice and in great fashion. First, Amy du Plessis, after hitting a long kick, put the afterburners on, regained the ball and dived in the corner. Ayesha Leti-I'iga came next, with the winger concluding a spectacular team play to push New Zealand ahead.
Trailing five points at half-time, England needed something special to happen and that something was Ellie Kildunne. The fullback outwitted the opposite defence and ran unopposed to level the game.
The hosts would finally regain the lead when Jesse Breach grounded the ball in the corner after a brilliant set-piece play. With the Black Ferns doubling down on their attack and their dynamic pack giving the backline extra impetus, they eventually restored parity with another try, this time by Mererangi Paul.
The match seemed headed for a 19-all draw until Zoe Harrison stepped up in spectacular fashion. The fly-half waited for the right moment, intercepted a pass, and set up the winning try for a roaring English crowd.
Les Bleues put up a show against Canada
In what was expected to be the toughest match of the WXV's opening three weeks, France were completely in command against Canada, securing a 21-5 win in front of a packed Stade Marcel-Deflandre.
While both sides bagged a try before the break, France seemed to control the set-piece and kicking game. Canada felt the absence of Sophie de Goede and Asia Hogan-Rochester, which ultimately had a slight impact on the game's flow towards the end.
With Pauline Bourdon Sansus marshalling her team, France slowly built their lead following a try from fullback Emilie Boulard, who was back to her best. The Canadian visitors, trailing 14-5 with just ten minutes to go, tried their best to find a way back into the contest, but a string of handling mistakes and penalties opened the door for the local side to score again, as Alexandra Chambon added France’s third finish.
Wallaroos too much for Scotland to handle
In a match of two contrasting halves, Scotland fell 30-10 to Australia, extending their losing streak to seven consecutive matches.
Playing at the Hive, Scotland went into the break up by ten points—a margin that could have been larger if they had made better use of six chances just meters from the Australian try line. However, handling errors and sensational try-saving tackles kept Scotland from heading into halftime with a more comfortable lead.
Unfortunately for the home side, the game turned completely around in the second 40-minute period, with the Wallaroos scoring four tries, two conversions, and two penalties to build an unassailable lead.
Desiree Miller, Samantha Wood and Faitala Moleka were the Australians' top performers, whilst Evie Gallagher gave her best effort to give home fans hope of a more positive result.
Wales and USA serve up a classic all-time clash
Wales fought to the wire against the United States, ultimately losing 26–24 in one of the weekend's best matches.
The Americans opened the scoring after two finishes from Player of the Match Freda Tafuna, who consistently overpowered the opposition throughout the match.
Wales bounced back following a quick play concluded by Keira Bevan, who was back at scrum-half, but the USA Women Eagles added their third now from 7s superstar, Erica Coulibaly.
However, what followed before halftime was remarkable, as the Welsh side mounted a stunning comeback. With tries from Kelsey Jones, Sisilia Tuipulotu, and Alex Callender, Wales went to the break up 24-19, much to the crowd's delight at Cardiff Arms Park.
The Americans made better use of the break, returning for the second half focused on regaining not only the lead but also control of the game. Powered by an ultra-aggressive defence and a set-piece that rose to the occasion, the USA scored their fourth try, once again through Freda Tafuna, who completed a hat-trick.
With the lead retaken, the USA stuck together and blocked the Welsh from reaching the try area, enough to secure another win.
Azzurre find themselves up against a Springbok Women wall
After coming up short against Wales, the Springbok Women were back to top form, nailing a 41-29 win over Italy at Stadio Omero Tognon.
The South African forward pack dominated the set-piece, as Italy struggled significantly to match their opponents in the lineout or scrum. Despite that, the Azzurre struck first, with Alyssa D'Inca crossing for the opening try before South Africa clawed back.
Hooker Anushka Groenewald banked a brace in the opening half, while Byrhandre Dolf and Maria Tshiremba each scored a try, giving the Springbok Women a 24-12 lead at break.
In the final 40 minutes, both sides added two tries: Vittoria Vecchini and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi for the locals, and Micke Gunter and Logan Welman for South Africa.
Despite the defeat, Italy produced a much-improved second-half performance, suggesting the Azzurre are moving closer to their best form.
Ireland back on the winning horse
Ireland and Japan wrapped up round 3 of the WXV Global Series with the Irish claiming a 31-24 win at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium.
Ireland got ahead 10 minutes into the game, holding the lead until the final whistle. Brittany Hogan, who scored the two opening tries, was pivotal to the locals' positive result, adding an X-factor to Ireland’s approach at the breakdown.
While Japan fought hard to build momentum and managed to score a try, Ireland extended their lead before halftime, taking a 19-5 advantage into the break.
In the final 40 minutes, the Sakura came close to levelling the game following another try from hooker Moe Nagoaka; Ireland held firm and clinched two more tries from Béibhinn Parsons and Aoife Dalton – Parsons became Ireland women’s all-time leading try scorer.
Nijiho Nagata and Nami Asari still managed to pick up two more tries for the Sakura, but it wouldn’t be enough to take the win out of Ireland’s hands.
