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Biting allegation mars Jillaroos WC win

Australia have defeated England 38-0 at the women's Rugby League World Cup with Jillaroos centre Isabelle Kelly accused of biting.

rugby league
Australian rugby league player Isabelle Kelly has been accused of biting. (AAP)

Australia's 38-0 thumping of England at the women's Rugby League World Cup has been overshadowed by a biting accusation against centre Isabelle Kelly.

The Jillaroos sent a clear message to the rest of the tournament with an eight tries-to-none defeat of the Lionesses in Sydney on Sunday which ensured they will finish top of pool A.

The emphatic win was marred after England prop Chantelle Crowl accused the Jillaroos outside back of biting her forearm late in the first half.

With the Jillaroos holding a commanding 24-0 lead at the time, Crowl remonstrated with referee Todd Smith after tackling Kelly.

The ground manager came onto the pitch and took a photo of Crowl's arm before the incident was put on report.

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The match review committee will meet on Monday morning and if Kelly is charged, she will appear before the judiciary at NSWRL headquarters at Homebush on Monday evening.

It's the third such incident during this World Cup with Papua New Guinea's Wellington Albert and England's Jermaine McGillvary both accused and cleared of biting during the men's tournament.

The reigning world champions shook off the incident to go on with the job in the second half with Kezie Apps strolling over three minutes after the resumption to put the result out of reach.

England were touted as being capable of upsetting the Jillaroos on home soil however were soundly out-classed.

After Kelly stretched out to open the scoring in the seventh, the Jillaroos went 90 metres with Meg Ward breaking the line open and fullback Nakia Davis-Welsh going over under the posts.

Halfback Caitlin Moran provided the highlight of the match with a scintillating solo try in which she ran 30m and stepped off her right foot twice as the Jillaroos followed up their opening 58-4 defeat of the Cook Islands with another victory.

The Lionnesses also have concerns after losing centre Amy Hardcastle to an ankle injury in the first half while halfback Kirsty Monroe came off for a concussion test early in the second half but did not return.

Jillaroos co-skipper Renae Kunst also came off late in the game with what appeared to be a calf problem.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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