The Wallaroos finished the year in style with another win over Scotland in a match in which they said farewell to Cecilia Smith and Emily Chancellor, before Canada claimed their second win over world champions England in a week, and New Zealand marked their 150th test with victory over France.
Ireland then held off South Africa's challenge, and USA powered their way to a historic victory over Italy in Nashville.
Australia 38-31 Scotland
A gritty yet compelling encounter ended with Australia securing a 38–31 win over Scotland, in what ended up being a bittersweet farewell for Cecilia Smith, who was sent off in the final minutes. It didn't take long for the Wallaroos to go ahead, as Amelia Whitaker crossed the whitewash after a series of quick phases. Samantha Wood claimed the extras in an energising start for the locals.
Scotland came close to drawing level, but Tania Naden nailed a sensational turnover just a few metres from the line to deny the visitors any points. On the next play, the Australians got their second from opposite winger Maya Stewart, who had to rush to the in-goal area after a Faitala Moleka pass.
After a difficult first 15 minutes, Scotland finally had their moment in the sun, managing to score their first try through captain Rachel Malcolm, who dived over from close range. From then on, Scotland felt more comfortable and pushed the hosts, who were on the back foot, conceding several penalties and getting boxed in inside their 22.
With a handful of minutes to the break, Cecilia Smith and Waiaria Ellis were sent to the sin-bin after a high tackle and a cynical foul, and Scotland used the player advantage to take the lead. First, Holland Bogan steered a driving maul to glory, with Katie Buchanan dotting down the third and Helen Nelson added the conversion to give the visitors a 17-14 lead at half-time.
The restart didn't bode well for Scotland, as they lost Chloe Rollie to the sin-bin and conceded a try from Moleka, who ran an astonishing line to ground the ball next to the goalposts, giving Wood an easy conversion. Eva Karpani was brought in a few minutes later, earning her 50th cap for Australia, with the experienced prop helping her side find the whitewash once again.
From a quick lineout, the Wallaroos ran a smart play that unleashed Piper Duck out wide for the flanker dove in the corner. As Wood converted another kick, the locals led 28-17 with half an hour to go. Scotland looked to be back in contention when Meryl Smith unleashed an overhead pass to set up Rhona Lloyd in the corner, but the Australians swung back again from a try by Siokapesi Palu Sekona and a penalty and conversion from Sammie Wood's tee.
With the Wallaroos went back to 14 after Eva Karpani was yellow-carded for a high tackle, Scotland did all they could to turn the tide, but their attempts were thwarted by a defence that gave up no space inside the 22.
Scotland managed to squeak out their fifth try through Malcolm with both sides reduced to 14 in the final minutes, but it wasn't enough to overturn the Wallaroos' lead, who nailed a jackal on the final play to keep their winning streak going.
Canada 31-22 England
Canada delivered another stellar performance to beat England 31-22 at Ottawa's TD Place Stadium, to go two-for-three against the world champions and finish the test season on a high. Canada could have landed the game's first hit, but missed their chance to make the most of a 22-metre lineout, with England regaining possession and laying the groundwork to reach the Canadian in-goal area.
Following an offside penalty, the Red Roses went for a lineout, and after several phases, number-eight Maddie Feaunati crashed over the line to give her team their first lead. Zoe Harrison was successful from the tee.
Canada mounted a sensational comeback, scoring two tries in under 10 minutes. Julia Omokhuale went first, with the flanker claiming the fruits of a spectacular team play that pushed England back for 10 consecutive phases. De Goede added the extras and, one minute after the restart, clinched her side's second, after a brilliant pick-up from Gabrielle Senft.
The tourists had a several chances to level the score, but a run of handling errors ultimately ended England's ambitions and gave Canada some breathing space. Despite both teams coming close to the whitewash, the scoreline stayed the same, and referee Aurélie Groizeleau sent the teams to a 15-minute break with the hosts leading 12-7.
England put points on the board early in the second half through Zoe Harrison, as the fly-half converted a straightforward penalty to cut the home side's lead to two. England started to boss the set-piece before finally breaking through the Canadian blockade to score their second, through Amy Cokayne.
Just when it seemed the Red Roses were in control, Canada fought their way back into the contest, with Olivia Apps and Florence Symonds carving open the English defence. From a ruck, Sophie de Goede caught the opposition off guard, running unopposed to the try line. England’s lack of discipline kept racking up penalties, rolling out the red carpet for Canada to strike again, which they eventually did from a driving maul.
DaLeaka Menin dived from close range, and Canada's comfortable lead would grow again in the 63rd minute. After a turnover, Taylor Perry spotted Savannah Bauder on the wing and sent the ball her way. The winger ran more than 50 meters, beat Emma Sing, and crossed the try line.
England managed to grab a third try with no time left on the clock, but it was only ever a consolation, as the hosts wrapped up the entertaining affair with a 31-22 win.
New Zealand 31 - 12 France
Braxton Sorensen-McGee’s stunning solo effort 10 minutes from time ensured New Zealand marked their 150th test match with a victory over France - playing their 300th international - in Whangārei.
Her gliding 75m score was the second of three in a devastating five-minute spell. Until then, the match could have gone either way.
France, determined to prove last week’s 81-12 scoreline was a one-off, had taken the lead in the fourth minute, hooker Mathilde Lazarko coming up with the ball following a classic lineout-maul move.
Patient build-up work, with forwards making inroads into the French defence, paid dividends for the hosts after 15 minutes, when winger Mererangi Paul darted through on a cut-back line. Sorensen-McGee converted from a difficult angle to take the Black Ferns ahead.
But Les Bleues – more direct and pragmatic than last week – hit back early in the second quarter. A quickly taken penalty was booted into wide open spaces deep in New Zealand territory, where a knock-on handed them an attacking opportunity they did not waste. Fly-half Carla Arbez’s crossfield kick found winger Anaïs Grando, who skipped past three defenders to score.
Wing Shyrah Tuliau Tua’a got New Zealand back on level terms after half-an-hour, finishing another patient build-up in the corner. Again, Sorensen-McGee converted to give New Zealand a 14-12 lead at the break.
After determined on-the-line defence had denied France’s returning prop Ambre Mwayembe 15 minutes into the second half, the Black Ferns finally broke clear as replacement back-row Amarante Sititi – on for the injured Kaipo Olsen-Baker – scored 13 minutes from time to give them a seven-point lead.
France were still in the game, but Sorensen-McGee’s 75m one-woman highlight-reel score followed three minutes later. And Paul finished a sweeping multi-pass move to score her second almost from the restart to put the result beyond doubt.
Japan 0 - 17 Wales
Japan’s 100th test match did not end as they hoped as Wales kept them scoreless in difficult conditions at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.
Both sides had their chances to score in a tight first-half between two evenly matched sides in rain-soaked conditions. Kelsey Jones went over at the back of a lineout maul in the eighth minute - but the score was ruled out for obstruction.
Wako Kitano was held up over the line just over five minutes later as Japan enjoyed an extended period of control. The hosts’ forwards were their most potent weapon, in defence and attack. Number eight Savannah Bodman had several impressive moments in the first half on debut as an arm wrestle of a first half ticked on.
Eventually, however, Wales began to get the upper hand, repeatedly asking questions of Japan’s defence. Patience in the hosts’ 22 and a switch in lineout tactics finally told as scrum-half Seren Lockwood darted through for the only try of the opening period five minutes before the break.
Jones, denied early on, finally got the try her industry deserved in the 65th minute, crashing over after a 5m lineout maul move. Moments later, a speculative kick ahead following a turnover looked to give Lockwood - now on the wing after a positional reshuffle following Freya Bell’s injury - her second, but Jones was found to be offside at an earlier ruck.
But Lockwood could not be denied late on. A long-range over-the-top pass from Lleucu George gave her enough room to hold off the last despairing defender for Wales’ third try and the last score of a hard-fought outing.
South Africa 27-40 Ireland
Ireland landed a second win in their 2026 WXV Global Series campaign, defeating South Africa 40-27 at Cape Town's Athlone Stadium.
The hosts' opening 15 minutes were riddled with handling mistakes and indiscipline, giving Ireland an opening to strike first. After a quick 22-metre lineout, Scott Bemand's side went through the phases until Aoife Dalton wriggled through the South African defence to reach the line.
Dannah O'Brien claimed the extras, giving Ireland a seven-point lead seven minutes in. The Women's Boks redoubled their efforts, and got their reward as number eight Aseza Hele sprinted down the wing, and broke a tackle, en route to the line.
The home side added a second five-pointer a few minutes later, this time from second-row Vainah Ubisi.
With Ireland down to 14 after Erin King was sent to the sin-bin, the visitors had to manage the ball until their captain returned. But once she was back in play, the tourists regained the lead with an unstoppable carry from Linda Djougang.
In the final minutes before halftime, both teams scored: Maria Tshiremba for the home side and Jane Clohessy for Ireland, with the visitors heading into the break leading 21–17.
South Africa struggled in the first few minutes of the second half, as Ireland extended their lead once again, via Béibhinn Parsons. King was next in line, but Aoibheann Reilly was to be disappointed soon after as a knock-on ruled out her touchdown.
In the minutes that followed, South Africa bagged their fourth through Lerato Makua, but it wasn't enough to tip the scales. In the final minutes, Djougang clinched her brace for Ireland, and South Africa's Alichia Arries caught the ball after a fantastic cross-field kick for the final score.
USA 54 - 24 Italy
Freda Tafuna scored a hat-trick and Keia Mae Sagapolu a first-half double as the USA powered to a forward-led win over Italy in Nashville to claim a fifth victory in a row for the first time in 20 years.
Italy had started the fastest in only the second rugby match - and first international - at Geodis Park, but four tries before the break handed the USA an advantage they were never going to give up.
Wing Francesca Granzotto held off the attentions of Alev Kelter to dot down Emma Stevanin’s crossfield kick in the fifth minute. And flanker Francesca Sgorbini gathered her own chargedown to add a second with 14 minutes on the clock.
The rest of the half was all about the USA. Tight-head prop Keia Mae Sagapolu got her first and second within eight minutes, and loose-head partner Lauryn Carlton opened her try account on debut shortly after the half-hour. All three scores were the result of patient and powerful build-up work.
Number-eight Tafuna steamed through Italy’s defence for her first - in the dying moments of the first half. She got her second four minutes after the restart, as the hosts continued to control possession in the early exchanges after the break.
Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi - in her last act before being subbed off - finished off a patient attack in the 55th minute to score Italy’s first points in over a half of rugby.
But normal USA power service was quickly resumed, as co-captain Georgie Perris-Redding dived over from close range, following more patient work by her fellow forwards, notably veteran prop Hope Rogers, on for Carlton. Tafuna’s third came after 65 minutes as the USA pack posted a powerful message.
Beatrice Rigoni hit back for a defiant Italy three minutes later, moments after she had come on. But Kate Zackary forced her way over three minutes from time to take the USA past 50.
