England v Canada
The Red Roses had to work very hard to overcome the Maple Leafs’ extreme resistance, but seven tries by the end told a familiar story.
There was a moving prelude to the match, a bugler sounding the Last Post to commemorate Remembrance Day. How fitting that Canadians lined up alongside English, reminding us of the huge sacrifices made by their nation in two world wars.
England looked threatening at the start, mounting pressure on the defence. The first of many kicks to the corner by Zoe Harrison led to a wonderful cut-out pass by Helena Rowland, and Heather Cowell had a debut try. (5-0)Canada had a parallel chance to attack England’s left flank, but it ended sadly with an overthrown line-out.
There was a rare sight this series of an England scrum crumpling, but once again, Canada didn’t exploit the chance: an attacking line-out was lost. There was a strange sequence when a Harrison kick ahead was half charged down, reclaimed by England. As the ball spun down the line, Lagi Tuima attempted a tip-on pass to Cowell, but it finished in Paige Farries’ hands. She ran it in to overturn the score. (5-7)
For the first time this autumn England were behind. They were penalised at a second scrum and could find few easy openings in the Canadian defences. Harrison’s tactical kicks were well countered, and her team had to batten down the hatches. When they finally worked their way back into the opposition half, Claudia Macdonald, who had her best game yet in England colours, made ground through the middle. When the ball came to Sarah Bern, let’s say she invited two defenders to get out of her way and powered over for yet another great try.
The TMO was invited to adjudicate but found in favour of the attacker. (12-7)
Sarah Hunter asked Harrison to go for goal at the next penalty. She obliged. (15-7)
Canada now responded with their best move of the match: off a scrum on the right Sabrina Poulin moved infield and took a pass that left Tuima floundering. She accelerated to beat two more defenders and score a dramatic try. (15-12)
But the Roses were determined to have the last word before the lemons: Excellent handling gave Cowell the sniff of a second chance. With pace and a shimmy she was over. Harrison’s kick pranged back off a post.
Half time: 20-12
Till now the Maple Leafs had looked quite the equals of the Black Ferns, but could they last the pace?
Bern showed how hard it would be. powering over superbly for her second. (27-12) Hunter had opted for another line-out, demonstrating her faith in one of England’s greatest assets.
Sandro Fiorino made his first changes of personnel quite early, sensing the need to up the pressure on the home team. But it had a reverse effect; on 50 minutes England dominated a scrum and Macdonald raced through to score. (34-12)
When the Maple Leafs won a penalty in their own 22, they decided to run it, but virtue wasn’t rewarded: they lost possession to give England the upper hand again. Curiously, when offered a penalty some 40 metres out. Harrison was again asked to kick for goal (37-12). No doubt good practice for that nail-biting 3-0 game that is bound to lie ahead of them.
As we might have expected, the game slid out of Canadian control as England’s bench was emptied. Most benches are occupied by hopefuls who suspect they are not quite the equals of the starters. With England most of them are experienced beyond measure, an RWC winner here, a multiple 6 Nations winner there. From this point the score mounted inevitably beyond the half century.
Alex Matthews found herself motoring in under the posts almost untouched. Rowland converted this one. (44-12) Five minutes from the end Leanne Infante chose to feed her blind-side left-winger who sped over unmarked.
This was the ultimate proof of the Red Roses’ togetherness,one scrum half offering a scoring chance to her rival for that post, then hugging her in delight. Macdonald had moved out to the wing to make way for her.
Result: England 51 Canada 12
Player of the Match: Sarah Bern
Teams
England:
15. Sarah McKenna (Saracens, 38 caps); 14. Heather Cowell (Harlequins, uncapped); 13. Lagi Tuima (Harlequins, 10 caps); 12. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 8 caps); 11. Abby Dow (Wasps, 20 caps); 10. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 32 caps); 9. Claudia MacDonald (Wasps, 17 caps); 1. Hannah Botterman (Saracens, 24 caps); 2. Amy Cokayne (Harlequins, 59 caps); 3. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 38 caps); 4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 26 caps); 5. Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 49 caps); 6. Sarah Hunter (captain; Loughborough Lightning, 128 caps); 7. Sadia Kabeya (Loughborough Lightning, uncapped); 8. Poppy Cleall (Saracens, 49 caps)
Bench:
16. Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning, 33 caps); 17. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins, 62 caps); 18. Maud Muir (Wasps, 2 caps); 19. Harriet Millar-Mills (Wasps, 64 caps); 20. Alex Matthews (Worcester Warriors, 43 caps); 21. Marlie Packer (Saracens, 78 caps); 22. Leanne Infante (Bristol Bears, 46 caps); 23. Holly Aitchison (Saracens, 2 caps)
Canada:
1. Olivia DeMerchant (captain, Exeter Chiefs/Halifax Tars RFC);2. Emily Tuttosi (Exeter Chiefs); 3. DaLeaka Menin (Exeter Chiefs); 4. Emma Taylor (Halifax); 5. Courtney Holtkamp (Red Deer Titans); 6. Fabiola Forteza (Club de Rugby de Quebec/Stade Bordelais); 7. Karen Paquin (Club de Rugby de Quebec/Stade Bordelais); 8. Gabrielle Senft (Castaway Wanderers/University of Victoria Vikes); 9. Brianna Miller (Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC); 10. Emily Belchos de Goede (Westshore RFC); 11. Paige Farries (Worcester Warriors/Westshore RFC); 12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC); 13. Sara Kaljuvee (Toronto Scottish/University of Victoria Vikes); 14. Sabrina Poulin (Town of Mount Royal Rugby/Stade Rennais); 15. Elissa Alarie (Westshore RFC/Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/Braves de Trois-Rivières)
Bench:
16. Laura Russell (Toronto Nomads/Cowichan RFC); 17. Brittany Kassil (Guelph Redcoats)18. Alex Ellis (Barrhaven Scottish/Saracens); 19. Tyson Beukeboom (Cowichan RFC)20. Pamphinette Buisa (Canada Women’s 7’s/Ottawa Irish); 21. Laetitia Royer (Lons Section Paloise/St-Anne-de-Bellevue); 22. Justine Pelletier (Stade Bordelais/Club de Rugby de Quebec) ; 23. Renee Gonzalez (Westshore RFC/University of Victoria Vikes)
Officials:
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR) and Maria Giovanna Pacifico (FIR)
TMO: Neil Paterson (SRU)
Attendance: 6,310
Afterthoughts:
We had been getting used to seismic shocks this autumn. Three decisive losses on the trot for the Black Ferns, and now the Maple Leafs were in town to measure themselves against the best in the business.They put up the solid fight we all expected. When they are back to full strength (Cindy Nelles and Sophie De Goede among the absentees) and fully trained up, they will provide a real challenge to allcomers.Simon Middleton is highly likely to make wholesale changes for next weekend. That would be due reward for all the uncapped players brought into the training squad who haven’t yet tasted onfield action. With England scoring so freely against the top-notchers, we have to fear for the Eagles’ well-being at Sixways.
