WXV Global Series: USA beats Italy 54–24 in women’s rugby
Freda Tafuna scored three of the USA’s eight tries, all from forwards, as Italy ended its WXV Global Series campaign with one win in four matches.
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Freda Tafuna scored three of the USA’s eight tries, all from forwards, as Italy ended its WXV Global Series campaign with one win in four matches.
The USA recovered from 12–0 down to beat Italy 54–24 in Nashville on 24 October, recording its fifth consecutive women’s rugby Test victory—a win in a full international match. By 26 October, the result had returned the USA to sixth in the women’s World Rugby rankings.
Australia had overtaken the USA for sixth place just one week before the Americans regained it. The Nashville victory also marked the first time in 20 years that the USA had won five matches in a row.
Francesca Granzotto and Francesca Sgorbini scored Italy’s opening tries within 15 minutes. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opponents’ in-goal area. The USA answered with four tries before half-time and four after the break, all from forwards—the players who specialise in close-contact play.
RugbyPass described repeated USA attacks close to Italy’s try line. Keia Mae Sagapolu-Sanele scored twice after sustained possession inside Italy’s 22-metre area. Freda Tafuna passed to debutant Lauryn Carlton for a close-range try, then scored herself just before half-time. Tafuna added two second-half tries for her second WXV Global Series hat-trick—a three-try performance. Georgie Perris-Redding also scored after the break, and Kate Zackary added the USA’s final try in the 76th minute.
| Player | First-half tries | Second-half tries |
|---|
Ireland beat South Africa 40–27 at Athlone Stadium, while Wales beat Japan 17–0 in Tokyo, sending Japan down to thirteenth in the world rankings.
1 min
| Total |
|---|
| Freda Tafuna | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Keia Mae Sagapolu-Sanele | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Lauryn Carlton | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Georgie Perris-Redding | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kate Zackary | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi and Beatrice Rigoni scored Italy’s second-half tries, but the defeat left Italy with one win from its four WXV Global Series matches.
The USA is due to face England at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey in the concluding weekend of the WXV Global Series, with a chance to extend its five-match winning run.
Linda Djougang scored twice on Ireland’s first trip to South Africa, securing the opening win ahead of the October 31 return.
1 min
France offered a closer challenge than in Hamilton, but New Zealand’s replacements helped the Black Ferns claim a second consecutive international win.
2 min