'I thought it was a 17-point wind': How Scotland knew first-half advantage was not enough against Australia

Scotland's Caity Mattinson (C) loses the ball during the New Zealand 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Scotland and Australia.

With title challengers New Zealand still to come, the Scots knew they had to win this game to keep any realistic hopes of progressing out of Pool A into the quarter-finals alive.

They were back at the Northland Events Centre in Whangarei, New Zealand, where they had been beaten with the last kick of the game against Wales six days previously, but there was certainly no hangover.

Indeed, the start here was excellent, the side showing great composure to go up 12-0 after 40 minutes through an unconverted try by hooker Lana Skeldon and a seven point penalty try.

It was pleasing on the eye for all Scotland fans who had got up back home for the 3am start, but they could have perhaps had more points on the board.

They were playing with a very strong wind while winger Rhona Lloyd nearly scored minutes before the penalty try was awarded after a great run.

Australia hooker Adiana Talakai was also in the sin bin from minute 27 to 37, but a 12-point lead it was – and in the end it just was not enough.

“I thought it was a 17-point wind in the first half, I’ll be honest,” Easson said after watching converted tries from winger Bienne Terita and replacement Ashley Marsters hand his side a 14-12 defeat and just a losing bonus point.

“I said to the management team about 15 minutes in ‘I think this is probably a 17 point wind’ because it was going to be so difficult to defend [into the wind] in the second half.

“Rhona was unlucky. If we had gone in 17 points up or even more it probably would have made a big difference.

“We did have to keep the ball and tighten it up a little in the second half and we knew doing that for 40 minutes was going to be really hard.

“With the wind as it was, we tried to defend as well as we could and our discipline was excellent.

“The wind was so strong out there and I thought, at times, we were [playing] a little bit wide in the second half.

“We kept fighting to the end and again, like against Wales, it was just a hard one to take.”

There was drama here until the clock was in the red past 80 minutes because Australia had Marsters (head-on-head contact) and Talakai (second yellow card) sent off in the last four minutes.

Scotland could not quite manage to mount one last meaningful attack though and it was heartbreak against 13 players at the end.

Rachel Malcolm’s side tackled themselves to a standstill – second-row Emma Wassell leading way with 20 tackles – and, looking ahead the New Zealand test next Saturday, Easson added: “We are at a World Cup, we’ve shown everybody that we deserve to be here, were playing New Zealand in New Zealand, so we have to enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, Chloe Rollie’s arm injury is being assessed by medics after the full-back was forced off after 37 minutes.