2 August 1997: USA 28 def Australia 24.

(According to Roz Fordham, who attended the game)

Australia scored 4 tries, the USA 3. Place kicking for Oz was performed by Sherilee Moulds, another goal-kicking lock.

USA looked the far better team on the night, much faster and with very slick handling skills. Their back row was amazing - the clean out over the tackled player was almost always "perfect" drawing gasps of appreciation from the building crowd. That is, vertical, at least 2 metres past the tackled player, in concert, Australian bodies flying everywhere.

To their enormous credit, the Australian women did not give up in the face of such play and a daunting half-time scoreline (something like 19-5?) and came back strongly to draw close. While the game was played with aggression, I really can't recall seeing a game of rugby that involved absolutely no rucking of players before. A point noted by those around me when a USA player was lying on the wrong side of a ruck, preventing the ball from being played. Ref (Barry Leask) quickly awarded a penalty, but most of the crowd were bemused that the forwards had eschewed the more traditional methods of obtaining the ball. Perhaps the ref had made this clear in the 1st half.

The Australian women did a "lap" of Lang Park after the game, to thank their supporters and the crowd in general, which was very warmly received.

Selections for National Team to play USA Women's Rugby Team at Suncorp Stadium on 2 August 1997 as the curtain raiser to the Australia v South Africa Test Match

NAME: (Alphabetical)

Karen Bucholz (Q) (half-back)
Melanie Goeher (NT) (lock)
Christine Henson (NSW) (hooker)
Bronwyn Laidlaw (Q) (full-back)
Bronwyn Makintosh (NSW) (flanker)
Ronnie May (NSW) (prop)
Sherilee Mould (NSW) (lock)
Sharon O'Kane (ACT) (wing)
Tui Ormsby (WA) (centre)
Tanya Osborne (Q) (centre)
Pearl Palaialii (Q) (prop)
Naomi Roberts (NT) (full-back/wing)
Helen Taylor (ACT) (five-eighth)
Nicole Wickert (NSW) (no. 8)
Selena Worsley (Q) (five-eight)

RESERVES

Holly Birch (VIC) (centre)
Lisa-Jane Dwan (Q) (lock)
Melissa Latu (VIC) (prop)
Shirley Russell (Q) (flanker)
Helen Theunissen (NSW) (half-back)
Jennie Williams (NSW) (wing)

MANAGEMENT

Bob Hitchcock: Coach
Christine Gold: Manager
Dr. Margaret Smyth: Doctor
Jennifer Birkel: Physiotherapist
Shelley Lingman: Assistant Coach

Selections for National Squad 


Elizabeth Andrew (ACT) (flanker)
Holly Birch (VIC) (centre)
Catherine Boulton (Qld) (centre)
Karen Bucholz (Q) (half-back)
Jody Collier (Q) (flanker) 
Julienne Columbas (Q) (prop)
Genevieve Delves (NSW) (five-eighth)
Lisa-Jane Dwan (Q) (lock)
Mieke Gladwin (Q) (lock)
Melanie Goeher (NT) (lock)
Christine Henson (NSW) (hooker)
Rachael Hill (NSW) (centre)
Bronwyn Laidlaw (Q) (full-back)
Melissa Latu (VIC) (prop)
Bronwyn Makintosh (NSW) (flanker)
Ronnie May (NSW) (prop)
Sherilee Mould (NSW) (lock)
Vanessa Nooteboom (Q) (utility)
Tui Ormsby (WA) (centre)
Sharon O'Kane (ACT) (wing)
Tanya Osborne (Q) (centre)
Pearl Palaialii (Q) (prop)
Naomi Roberts (NT) (full-back/wing)
Shirley Russell (Q) (flanker)
Alena Summers (ACT) (full-back/centre)
Helen Taylor (ACT) (five-eighth)
Helen Theunissen (NSW) (half-back)
Nicole Wickert (NSW) (no. 8)
Jennie Williams (NSW) (wing)
Selena Worsley (Q) (five-eight)



	Australian Women's Rugby Union