YORK, England -- Australia and the United States played out a hugely thrilling 31-31 draw at the Women's Rugby World Cup on Saturday, meaning both sides are still able to reach the quarterfinals with one pool match to play.
The result means both teams get two points as well as a four-try bonus point.
In a tournament where jeopardy is limited for much of the early rounds, it was a must-win for both and the match didn't disappoint.
A passionate and vocal sell-out crowd provided a superb atmosphere in the game of the tournament so far.
On the pitch, the players delivered, and it was Australia who struck early. The Wallaroos played the drizzly, greasy conditions to perfection, going route one with their first meaningful attack.
The forwards laid the groundwork before scrum-half Samantha Wood floated the ball left where Desiree Miller was waiting to pounce for the opening try. Wood added the conversion.
The U.S. settled and had some good periods of possession, but unforced errors stopped their momentum. Every knock-on and misplaced kick was pounced on by the crowd and it felt as though they were scrapping for every metre themselves as much as the players were on the pitch.
The U.S. then got their reward for some sustained pressure, making ground off the back of a lineout on the left wing thanks to a storming run from captain Kate Zackary. This time, momentum would not be halted and Freda Tafuna crashed over.
Fly-half McKenzie Hawkins should have levelled the score with the conversion, but the ball was blown off the kicking tee and she didn't have time to reset before the shot-clock ran out.
The game settled into a fierce arm wrestle for the rest of the half, before Australia struck a huge blow two minutes before the break. With their maul at a standstill five metres out following a lineout, Wood again swung the ball left, this time finding 18-year-old star Caitlyn Halse, who pierced the U.S. defence to score under the posts.
If the half-time message for Australia was to keep it tight and capitalise on the try at the end of the first half, they didn't pull it off, the U.S. scoring twice in 12 minutes to take the lead.
The Eagles got on the front foot straight after the break thanks to a try from Keia Mae Sagapolu and a second from Tafuna. But, instead of going into their shells, the Wallaroos stood up. Moments after going behind, the ball found Miller who had acres of space on the left wing and she powered over for her second try. It was game on.
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Halse then found space on the left with three defenders to beat and skipped past them all for her second and the bonus point try. However, staring down the barrel of an early exit, the U.S. found another level. Tafuna added a third try to complete her hat trick before Erica Jarrell-Searcy picked up the ball from the back of the ruck in front of the posts minutes later to put the U.S. back in front and Hawkins made the conversion.
With those in the stadium on the edge of their seats, it was anyone's guess who would win, but Australia struck again, steaming up field with ferocious intent before Eva Karpani went over for her side's fifth try.
Wood couldn't slot the conversion, and it was locked up at 31-31 with five minutes to play and that's how it would finish, leaving everything to play for next week.