MANSHETER, England — 18-year-old Caitlyn Halse said his World Cup debut was “surreal” and “very bloody and surprising” as Australia launched the campaign on Saturday, hitting Samoa 73-0.
Hals, a native of Picton, New South Wales, became the youngest Australian to play in the Women’s Rugby World Cup, marking the opportunity with two tries with a record-breaking victory from Wallaron.
With 11 hats heading into the tournament, Halse has been aiming to create a World Cup team since the beginning of 2024, saying his dream at Salford Stadium has come to life.
When asked about his experience, Halse told ESPN:
“It was really cool, but being there was definitely surreal.
“I was put on that team so I don’t think I’m sure I’ll be coming, but after I joined it, that was something I’ve been working on. Being here is pretty bloody.”
While they were loading the points, Wallaron managed a full shutout, especially in the second half, when Samoa put a lot of pressure on them. Halse said their resilience will give them a lot of confidence ahead of a major clash with the US next week.
“It was a complete 80-minute game. They had a lot of opportunities because (Samoa) but we stopped them. We can gain a lot of confidence from that,” she said.
“They’re tough (US) and the more tactical aspect than Samoa, but they’ll be there for the 80 again.
As they turned to the vast attacking rugby, Australia seemed unstoppable with Halse’s double and Digily Mirror’s first hat trick.
Along with right winger Maya Stewart, he has three abilities to score points despite losing Sevens star Charlotte Casrick to an injury before leaving Australia.
“Unfortunately, I lost Charlotte due to an ankle injury before the tournament, but I have a strong finisher for Desiree and Maya, and myself today,” Halse said.
“We have some strong external backs, so we hope we can continue to build it and get a little more of the ball.”