Canada Defeat NZ for Historic Win and Pacific Four Title: Video Highlights
It was looking ominous in the first half with NZ scoring two tries from the backline and leading 14-10 at the half. As usual for Canada it was the forwards and the maul that did the damage on attack, setting up all three Canadian tries.
Fancy Bermudez scored two almost identical tries off a pop pass from Sophie de Goede after a maul was taken to ground inches short of the try line. The first one was Canada’s opening try of the first half and the second one extended Canada’s lead to 22-14 in the second half. McKinley Hunt scored the try that put Canada ahead 15-14, that was from a maul that did cross the line.
Alex Tessier scored Canada’s fourth try 60 minutes in after a weaving run by Paige Farries was stopped short of the line and the ball was popped up to the supporting Tessier. That would have put the game out of reach at 29-14. In a controversial call the Australian TMO, Rachel Horton, intervened to call an obstruction and the try was negated after the conversion was made. Even RugbyPass, which is owned by World Rugby, had this to say on the call, “Drama ensued as the TMO interjected to call for the try to be overruled after the conversion was made due to an obscure obstruction. Amy du Plessis was ruled to have been interfered with despite making a defensive read of her own free will.”
The TMO also called a tip tackle on Olivia Apps that left Canada shorthanded for 10 minutes after which NZ made the game close with another try out wide. Canada held on however to win 22-19.
Canada now rise to 2nd in the World Rugby rankings. NZ face Australia next weekend in the final match of the Pacific Four, if NZ win then Australia are eliminated from WXV 1, if Australia win then USA will be eliminated.
The video highlights, courtesy of NZ Rugby, are included below as well as match reports from RugbyPass, Canadian Press and NZ Herald.
Photo from World Rugby
from RugbyPass
Canada claim first-ever win over Black Ferns, win Pacific Four Series title
Canada have claimed their first-ever win over the Black Ferns and the Pacific Four Series title under grey cloud on a cold afternoon in Christchurch with a historic 22-19 win.
The stunning result came off the back of a resounding second half performance from Canada’s pack, which overcame first half issues to score two rolling maul tries, while captain Sophie de Goede delivered an inspirational showing at openside with two try assists for Fancy Bermudez.
New Zealand’s discipline in the second half fuelled Canada’s resurgence, while they overcame late drama with 14 players and an overruled try to hold on to their lead.
Canada claimed the the world number two ranking in the process of their win, sending New Zealand down to third.
After dropping the opening kick-off, Canada regrouped and opened the scoring through the boot of Sophie de Goede after sustained pressure on the edge of New Zealand’s 22.
Ruahei Demant sparked New Zealand’s response with a line break around halfway. The first five weaved through the phases before New Zealand were awarded a penalty, kicking to the corner.
The Black Ferns efficient maul set well and within a few phases left winger Katelyn Vaha’akolo finished in the corner unmarked, with Demant and Mererangi Paul linking in-between.
A brilliant sideline conversion from New Zealand’s No 10 built a 7-3 lead.
Canada’s pack had a chance to respond, getting tight inside New Zealand’s 22 but a spilled ball meant the opportunity went begging.
A bust up the middle by Kennedy Simon set the platform for New Zealand and Vaha’akolo’s second. A smart ruck play by halfback Maia Joseph put Vaha’akolo through and she rounded the fullback to score. Demant’s conversion added two more for a 14-3 lead.
Canada had a chance to respond from a Alex Tessier crossfield kick to left wing Paige Ferries. No 8 Gabrielle Senft was brought down on the inside pass from Ferries, but they were awarded a penalty.
From a lineout drive Canada found their way to New Zealand’s line. A soft pair of hands from De Goede found right winger Fancy Bermudez who powered over to close the gap to 14-10.
A dominant New Zealand scrum forced a penalty against the feed inside Canada’s 22, winning an attacking possession from the five. The lineout drive saw hooker Georgia Ponsonby crash over, but she was judged to be held up.
Canada were able to repel New Zealand’s last attack of the first half they went into the sheds down 14-10.
That defensive resilience paid off early in the second half when the Canada maul scored the first of the second half through prop McKinley Hunt, giving Canada the lead 15-14. De Goede’s conversion sailed across the face from out wide.
A spate of New Zealand penalties gave Canada the momentum. However, the Black Ferns were able to defend Canada’s next maul from the five, with substitute Kaipo Olsen-Baker making an immediate impact. She followed up the collapsed maul with another key turnover with a steal at the breakdown.
Second five-eighth Sylvia Brunt was yellow carded for repeated infringements after crucial De Goede charge down on halfway led to massive swing in territory and possession.
After Brunt’s card, Canada’s maul was stopped but the De Goede-Bermudez combination paid off again with almost a carbon copy of her first try. Her second gave Canada a 22-14 lead.
Errors compounded for New Zealand with the faultless Ruahei Demant knocking on a long Tessier kick to continue to hand Canada possession and territory.
Speedster Paige Ferries delivered a would-be critical blow soon after, slicing through the midfield before finding an offload off the deck to Tessier to dive over.
Drama ensued as the TMO interjected to call for the try to be overruled after the conversion was made due to an obscure obstruction. Amy du Plessis was ruled to have been interfered with despite making a defensive read of her own free will.
Canadian halfback Olivia Apps was yellow carded for a dangerous tackle on Demant which put Canada down to 14 for the final 10 minutes, but they were able to stand strong and hold the Black Ferns out. Mikaele-Tu’u was held up over the line for a goal line drop out.
They couldn’t withstand for much longer with Patricia Maliepo scoring out wide after centre Amy du Plessis drew the last defender. The score remained 22-19 after a missed conversion from Demant.
Canada’s maul got them immediately back into the game, using a rolling drive to draw a yellow card offence from prop Aldora Itunu.
They weren’t able to score on the next drive, but with time up on the clock, Canada got home and Alex Tessier booted the ball into the stands to spark emotional scenes for Canada.
Tighthead Daleaka Menin was awarded player of the match on Canada’s historic night and spoke with tears in her eyes receiving the award.
The Canada women’s 15s side, not yet fully professional, made an emphatic statement becoming 2024 Pacific Four Series champions.
HT: New Zealand 14-10 Canada
FT: Canada 22-19 New Zealand
from Canadian Press
Canadian women make rugby history with win over the Black Ferns in New Zealand
At the Rugby World Cup in 2022, Canada pushed top-ranked England to the limit before falling 26-19 in the semifinal. eventually finishing fourth at the tournament.
On Sunday, the Canadian women took the next step with a historic 22-19 victory over New Zealand, winning the Pacific Four Series and replacing the Black Ferns at No. 2 in the world rankings behind England.
“I feel like we’ve been knocking on the door and pushing to make a statement on the world stage for Canada for a while now,” said captain Sophie de Goede.
The Canadian women had lost all 17 previous meetings with the Black Ferns, with 10 of those defeats by 27 points or more. The six-time world champions won 52-21 the last time they met, last July in Ottawa in the same tournament.
The closest Canada has come to a win was a 16-8 loss in Tauranga in June 2014, a match that marked the only other time New Zealand had failed to score 20 points against the Canadians.
The Canadians ended that run of futility with a resolute defence and opportunistic attack in an entertaining, hard-hitting game on a chilly afternoon at Apollo Projects Stadium.
Canada made 227 tackles compared to Black Ferns’ 89.
The Black Ferns’ discipline was poor throughout the game, conceding 14 penalties and yellow cards to Sylvia Brunt in the 39th minute and Aldora Itunu in the 77th minute.
“I still don’t have words for it. It hasn’t sunk in yet. We’ve hit so many milestones tonight,” said veteran forward Tyson Beukeboom, who earned a Canadian women’s record 68th cap. “We knew we could do it. We just had to go out on the field and put the game down, and we did, and I think proud is probably the best word at the moment.
“It was so much fun to be out there tonight.”
Fancy Bermudez scored two tries and McKinley Hunt added a single for Canada. De Goede kicked two conversions and a penalty.
Katelyn Vahaakolo scored two tries and Patricia Maliepo added one for New Zealand, which led 14-3 in the first half. Ruahei Demant booted two conversions.
Canada started the tournament at No. 4 in the rankings, but moved past France into No. 3 after beating Australia 33-14. Second in the rankings is its highest-ever position (last reached in November 2016).
“We worked so hard for the last, well it feels like for ever, and then having this outcome,” said an emotional Canadian prop DaLeaka Menin, who earned her 55th cap.
The Black Ferns have never been lower than No. 2 in the rankings, which were introduced in February 2016.
“We let them get on top of us,” said New Zealand co-captain Kennedy Simon. “Just little things that we could have fixed. Congratulations to them.”
New Zealand led 14-10 after an all-action first half that showcased a physical Canadian defence led by de Goede. The Canadians made 103 tackles in a hard-nosed half, compared to 46 for the Black Ferns.
Ill-discipline cost New Zealand which conceded 14 penalties on total and had players sent to the sin bin in each half.
Hunt put Canada ahead 15-14 as she went over at the back of the Canadian maul in the 45th minute off a lineout arising from a New Zealand penalty.
With Brunt in the sin bin, Bermudez then cut through the New Zealand defence from close range to up the lead to 22-14 after some fine work by the Canadian forwards.
Canada appeared to have increased the lead to 29-14 in the 64th minute after a fine run and off-load by Paige Farries set up Alex Tessier to go over. De Goede kicked the conversion but the try was negated after the television match official prompted a second look and eventual ruling that Canadian defender Shoshanah Seumanutafa had obstructed a New Zealand tackler.
The Black Ferns kept coming and the Canadian defence withstood a prolonged 35-phase attack only to have scrum half Olivia Apps sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle. That meant Canada had to defend its 22-14 lead a player down.
New Zealand’s Maliepo went over in the corner in the 73rd minute to cut the lead to 22-19.
“We were in control until the end, so it was good to see that. It was a very good collective performance for sure,” said Canada coach Kevin Rouet. “They stayed together, they did long, long, long phases of defence. They didn’t break.”
Beukeboom led Canada out on her record occasion, moving her past retired Rugby Canada Hall of Famer Gillian Florence for first place among Canadian women in cap count.
Canada opened tournament play with a 50-7 win over the United States on April 28 in Carson, Calif., before dispatching Australia last Saturday in Sydney. That win secured Canada’s spot in the top division of the WXV tournament, which Vancouver is hosting in September-October.
The top three teams in the Pacific Four Series will join No. 1 England, No. 4 France and No. 9 Ireland — the top three teams in the recent Women’s Six Nations — in the top division of the WXV.
Rouet improved his record as coach to 17-7-0 with the losses all coming at the hands of higher-ranked teams: England (four times), New Zealand (twice) and France.
New Zealand has now lost three of its last five games (with the other losses coming to England to France) after a 16-match win streak.
from NZ Herald
Black Ferns beaten by Canada for first time; Canada claim Pacific Four series title
After the highs of their 57-5 win over USA last weekend, the Black Ferns have been brought crashing back to Earth.
In the second match of their Pacific Four series campaign in Christchurch on Sunday, the Black Ferns were beaten by Canada 22-19.
It was the first time in 18 tests between the two that Canada got the better of their New Zealand counterparts, and it was a win the Northerners thoroughly deserved.
The result also saw Canada claim the Pacific Four series title, already having beaten USA and Australia.
The Black Ferns struggled throughout the fixture with their discipline, and with the Canadians defending well, the hosts’ attack at times looked panicked and out of sync as they struggled to create gaps in the Canadian line.
The breakdown was a key area for the visitors, who brought a physical challenge to their hosts and won the ball through their counter-ruck a few times; often simply being quicker to get numbers there.
It was a similar performance to the second half of the Black Ferns’ win over the United States, where discipline and errors did the Black Ferns no favours and they found themselves under pressure for large parts.
The tone was set in the opening exchanges when Canada knocked on immediately from the kick-off, but defended well and the Black Ferns ultimately turned the ball over through an illegal clean-out. The Black Ferns had chances but didn’t capitalise; Canada never lost their composure on defence when the Black Ferns did go on the attack.
“We let them get on top of us,” Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Simon told Sky Sport.
“Just little things that we could have fixed. Congratulations to them, we just have to go away, reflect on ourselves and make sure we show up. It’s not over yet.”
Canada opened the scoring through a Sophie de Goede penalty seven minutes in, but the Black Ferns pressed forward and scored through Katelyn Vahaakolo out wide three minutes later.
A beautiful no-look inside ball from Maia Joseph put Vahaakolo over for her second in the 23rd minute, with Ruahei Demant’s conversion making it 14-3.
While the Black Ferns had the bulk of possession, Canada were making what ball they could get their hands on count and ultimately that pressure led to a try through right wing Fancy Bermudez.
The Black Ferns held a slim lead at halftime, though they might have felt they could have been ahead by more as Georgia Ponsonby looked to have scored late in the half. However, the referee had blown the whistle and ruled the Black Ferns hooker had been held up before she eventually put the ball down.
The 20 minutes following the break saw Canada take the upper hand. The Canadians kept things rather simple on attack, keeping ball in hand, getting numbers to the breakdown and pressing forward.
They eventually took the lead through a try to loosehead prop McKinley Hunt from a lineout drive. That was then extended on the 60-minute mark with a second to Bermudez, who scored soon after Sylvia Brunt had been sin-binned for the Black Ferns after committing too many penalties.
Canada lost halfback Olivia Apps to yellow card for the last 10 minutes of the game, and the Black Ferns struck out wide through Patricia Maliepo.
However, they weren’t able to get back into Canadian territory after that; Aldora Itunu getting a late yellow card for a breakdown infringement as Canada closed out an historic win.
Black Ferns 19 (Katelyn Vahaakolo 2, Patricia Maliepo tries; Ruahei Demant 2 cons)
Canada 22 (Fancy Bermudez 2, McKinley Hunt tries; Sophie de Goede 2 cons, pen)
HT: 14-10
Canada Name Squad to Face New Zealand on Saturday – Streamed on TSN+
Canada have named their squad to take on NZ in the final match of the Pacific Four Series for Canada. If Canada win they’ll win the series, if they lose they’re guaranteed 2nd place. They’ve already guaranteed themselves a spot in the WXV 1 tournament they’re hosting later this year. The USA upset Australia yesterday which means Australia are likely the team to miss out on WXV 1 unless they defeat NZ in the final match of the series next weekend.
Canada keep an unchanged forward pack and make a couple of changes to the backline. Fancy Bermudez moves out to the wing, Madison Grant moves to the bench and Shoshanah Seumanutafa starts at outside centre. Julia Schell takes the fullback position with Sarah-Maude Lachance on the injured list.
Kickoff is Saturday at 9:35pm PT and streamed on TSN+.
from Rugby Canada
Canada’s roster has been named by Head Coach Kevin Rouet for their final Pacific Four Series match against the New Zealand Black Ferns on Saturday May 18 at 9:35pm PT/Sunday May 19 at 12:35am ET (4:35pm local time) in Christchurch at Apollo Projects Stadium.
Named to the roster is Tyson Beukeboom, who is set to earn her 68th cap for Canada and will become the most capped Canadian women’s rugby player, surpassing Gillian Florence on Canada’s all-time caps list.
“Tyson is a very experienced rugby player and the fun part for me has been that she is now at the stage of her career where we just have a lot of conversations, there isn’t much coaching,” said Rouet. “At her age and with her experience she decided to fully commit to rugby by going over to play in England, I loved to see that. It is important to recognize this massive achievement and I look forward to seeing her continue to play and grow and she continues to hit more milestones in the years to come.”
The last time Canada and New Zealand played each other was also another record-breaking moment for Canadian rugby. Canada hosted the Black Ferns in the 2023 Pacific Four Series at TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario which saw more than 10,000 fans cheer on Canada, the largest crowd in Canadian women’s rugby history.
Julia Schell will earn her first start of 2024 after coming off the bench in Canada’s first two matches against the USA and Australia. Schell replaces Sarah-Maude Lachance at fullback due to an injury to Lachance in last week’s match against the Wallaroos. With Lachance out, former UBC Thunderbird Rachel Smith joined the squad this week as an injury replacement.
For the second time in the 2024 Pacific Four Series, Shoshanah Seumanutafa will wear the number 13 jersey, previously starting against the USA. Fancy Burmudez will make her first international start on the wing.
Rouet added: “The Black Ferns as always are going to be a massive challenge. The team has been dedicated and focused on all the small details of our game to make sure we are ready for the weekend. It has been a great week training in Christchurch, and I am confident that the team will put on strong performance against a tough opponent.”
WHERE TO WATCH
Canada’s final Pacific Four Series match will be against New Zealand on Saturday May 18 at 9:35pm PT/Sunday May 19 at 12:35am ET (4:35pm local time). The match will be streamed live on TSN+ with encore broadcasts on TSN2 at 5:00am PT/8:00am ET and TSN1 at 2:30pm PT/5:30pm ET.
TSN+ is the stand-alone digital streaming service from Canada’s Sports Leader and is home to an extensive slate of live sports coverage from around the world, including Rugby Canada matches. For more information on TSN+, including subscription options, visit TSN.ca/TSN+.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM PACIFIC FOUR SERIES MATCH DAY ROSTER vs NEW ZEALAND
1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens
2. Sara Cline (Edmonton, AB) – Leprechaun Tigers / Western Force
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs
4. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC / Ealing Trailfinders
5. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat
6. Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Ottawa Irish
7. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC / Saracens
8. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Stade Bordelais
9. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
10. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Leicester Tigers
11. Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Saracens
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs
13. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Chiefs Manawa
14. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWesters Athletic Associations / Westshore RFC
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph RFC / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders
FINISHERS
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
17. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph RFC
18. Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Stade Français Paris
19. Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
20. Julia Omokhuale (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Irish Rugby Club / Leicester Tigers
21. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
22. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
23. Madison Grant (Cornwall, ON) – Cornwall Claymores