1. Canada are tough opponents 2. Final matches are rarely one way 3. England’s game-plan remains unclear In more detail John Mitchell set out his strategy for the Red Roses after acting as an observer during Louis Deacon’s term as interim chief. He wanted to see a more expansive approach adopted, with less emphasis on
Sally Horrox gave her usual upbeat address at BC Place, Vancouver. She could point to exciting rugby, new nations finding their footing and worldwide interest. It was indeed heartening to see eighteen squads meet up at three venues to enjoy more competition, increase the number of test matchers played, and inspire more youngsters to take
France v New Zealand A Brief Scene-setting Two successive matches between the teams had seen a 1-point margin. You can’t get much closer than that. All three head coaches assembled their strongest line-ups, while paying attention to current form and fitness. For the French duo this meant Séraphine Okemba replacing Téani Feleu at 6. That
WXV2 – The Last Rites All three games are here, Wales v Japan first; Australia v Scotland second; South Africa v Italy down below. The final pecking-order comes last. Wales v Japan The Sakura started with deft handling, led by Sachiko Kato, but a fluffed pass let Kayleigh Powell find a long boomer to touch.
USA v Ireland This was a key game to test Ireland’s new found buoyancy. It took them a very long time to decide the issue. They had wide options: Nicole Fowley’s big boot to send the ball deep, and their 7s players to add pace and trickery. The Eagles conceded their first penalty inside four
Canada v England – A Preview The two teams meet in a needle match that recalls the World Cup final of a decade ago. Both the captains, Tyson Beukeboom (but note a comment below) and Marlie Packer, survive, so do Emily Scarratt, Mo Hunt, Alex Matthews and Karen Paquin, though Paquin doesn’t feature here. An
Australia v Scotland Bryan Easson has made wholesale changes to his starting side. That may be a reaction to a close game against their last opponents – a win over Japan 19-13 – but some of the starters show he is still looking beyond this 2024 WXV. A prime example is Leia Brebner-Holden, who sends
One unavoidable weakness of WXV is its shortness, only three rounds. WXV presents tables for all three divisions, but they tell us very little that we couldn’t guess beforehand, or that come as a surprise. But surprises there were, and that makes it all worthwhile. First and foremost, Ireland’s giant-killing performance against the Black Ferns.
A Game of Consequences Langley Events Centre, Vancouver Could the Black Ferns show an advance? The outlook wasn’t great after the shock defeat to Ireland. But they started right on top. Ayesha Leti I’iga won a turnover from Jess Breach and it was fingers in the dyke for England. Abby Dow managed to restore order
WXV1 – Round Two Langley, Vancouver USA v France The two warm-ups were worth 5 points each, but sadly the Laws of the Game haven’t caught up. The Eagles had to overcome a 2-11 record. France’s failure to secure the kick-off left them defending for their lives, but a holding-on decision under the posts saved
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