Canadian Women Defeat Australia 45-7 to Finish Second in Pacific Four Series
Canada finished 2nd in the Pacific Four Series with a commanding 45-7 win over Australia. New Zealand topped the competition with a 3-0 record.
As expected the forwards were key to the victory, scoring 5 of the 7 tries but it was good to see a try from the young #10 Claire Gallagher and one from the wing Sarah-Maude Lachance. Captain Sophie de Goede scored twice and Tyson Beukeboom added three.
Coach Kevin Rouet deserves kudos as he made the necessary adjustments in the backline after the NZ defeat. Watching fullback Maddy Grant kick from her own 22 to the opposition 22, hit land not hand, and chase the ball down for a turnover was a beautiful thing to see to open the second half.
Canada now joins New Zealand, Australia, England, France and Wales in WXV 1, which is set to take place this fall in New Zealand.
from Rugby Canada
Canadas Womens Rugby Team closed out the 2023 World Rugby Pacific Four Series in Ottawa with a commanding 45-7 win over Australia. Finishing second in the tournament, Canada has qualified for the top tier of WXV, a new three-tier annual global womens international 15s competition.
Captain Sophie de Goede started her 20-point night by scoring in the 16th minute of play after Canada strung together 15 phases prior to de Goede touching it down. With Australia offside, Canada opted for the scrum where, while Canada was driving forward, de Goede pulled away to open scoring, converting her own try to put Canada up 7-0.
Australia scored their sole try of the game just five minutes later, kicking a clean conversion to tie the game.
Throughout the remainder of the game, Canada excelled in the maul, using one in the 29th minute to move the ball to the right wing for Sarah-Maude Lachance, who sped over the try line to regain the lead for Canada.
I think we played collectively, said Lachance. We made some mistakes for sure, but we were going 100% and trusting ourselves. Having that energy coming from the crowd, I think it really helped us to keep moving and going forward and having fun on the pitch.
Playing in her 60th cap for Canada, Tyson Beukeboom marked this milestone in style, charging the ball over the line to score the first of three tries in the 35th minute. De Goede kicked her second of five conversions to increase the score to 19-7.
Whats incredible about our team is we have so much experience and so many leaders in different ways and different styles, said de Goede.
Canadas captain closed out the first half by collecting seven more points. Receiving a pass from vice-captain Justine Pelletier, de Goede pushed off several Australian defenders to score between the posts, once again converting her own try to give Canada a 26-7 lead at half-time.
Five minutes into the second half, Claire Gallagher scored her first career try for Canada in just her second cap, receiving a pass from Pelletier and sidestepping Australias defence.
The remaining two tries belonged to Beukeboom, one from a maul that pushed the ball over the line (followed by de Goedes final conversion), and the other coming with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Sara Cline and Mya Brubacher both entered the game in the final 20 minutes to earn their first caps for Canada.
The best way to learn is experience and so having games against New Zealand and then Australia is good for us, said de Goede. Then the added pressure of doing it at home is somewhat like the added pressure of being in a Rugby World Cup tournament where stakes are higher. We had huge learnings from last weekend. Its always nicer to learn from a win like this week, but well take [it all] with us and go into WXV.
With their performance in the 2023 World Rugby Pacific Four Series, Canada now joins New Zealand, Australia, England, France and Wales in WXV 1, which is set to take place this fall in New Zealand.
from World Rugby
After controlling nearly 75% of the possession in the opening 15 minutes in Australias territory, Canada were rewarded for their efforts when captain Sophie de Goede picked from the base of the scrum in the 16th minute and powered over under the posts for the games first points. She added two points from the tee to give her side an early 7-0 lead.
Canada gifted the Wallaroos possession off the ensuing restart with a knock on, and the visitors made them pay minutes later through a try by hooker Ashley Marsters to even the score at seven-a-piece.
Much to the delight of the passionate home crowd, the Canadians would answer back through Sarah Maude-Lachance. De Goede controlled the ball at the back of the driving scrum in mid-field and, with a penalty signaled by match official Sara Cox who became the most-capped female referee of all-time with her 35th test surpassing Clare Daniels the ball went through the hands for the French-Canadian winger to score in the right corner.
Playing in her 60th cap, which is second all-time for Canada behind five-time Rugby World Cup veteran Gillian Florence, Tyson Beukeboom touched down for her nations third score to reward an impressive set of phases by the hosts forward pack. Captain de Goede added one more try and conversion on the stroke of half time to take a 26-7 lead into the half time break.
Hometown hero Claire Gallagher from the University of Ottawa GeeGees opened the scoring in the second half. The 23-year-old flyhalf playing in her second cap dotted down under the posts for the bonus point try.
Last Saturdays Mastercard Player of the Match Eva Karpani was sent to the sin bin by Cox in the 49th minute, setting the platform for Beukeboom to dot down her second tally of the evening off the ensuing driving maul to further the home sides lead to 40-7 after another conversion from de Goede.
The penalty troubles continued for Australia as loosehead prop Bree-Anna Cheatham was also sent to the bin to bring her team down to 13 players until Karpani returned to the field.
Mastercard Player of the Match Beukeboom completed her impressive hat-trick in the 67th minute in the left corner after taking a sublime offload from replacement forward Alexandria Ellis one metre from the try line.
Beukeboom said after the victory: Its such an honour to be able to put this jersey on in the first place let alone 60 times and to be able to do it in front of this crowd and score three tries, which Ive never done and probably wont ever do again, is just so exciting. I had so much fun, I just wanted to hit things and I did and it worked out well for me.
*Canada Name Team to Face Australia on Friday in Pacific Four Series*
Canada have made a few changes to the roster that lost to NZ in their last match. Olivia DeMerchant is missing from the roster and McKinley Hunt comes off the bench to start at loosehead. The remaining front row remains the same with Menin and Tuttosi. The second row remains stable with Beukeboom and Holtkamp. In the loose forwards Sara Svoboda replaces Gabrielle Senft at starting blindside flanker, Forteza and de Goede retain their spots.
In the half backs Pelletier retains her start at scrum half with a major change at flyhalf, newcomer Claire Gallagher gets the start and Julia Schell moves to the bench. A few changes in the backs with Alysha Corrigan replacing Fancy Bermudez at outside centre and Sarah Maude Lachance replacing Florence Symonds on the wing, Madison Grant replaces Sabrina Poulin at fullback. Paige Farries and Sara Kaljuvee retain their spots in the backline.
Canada were outplayed in the backs against NZ. The NZ outside centre in particular was devastating, also the kicking game from the #10 and #15 positions was weak. Canada have made adjustments in these areas against Australia.
Kickoff is on Friday at 4pm PT.
from Rugby Canada
Head Coach Kevin Rouet has named the match day roster for Canadas Womens Rugby Teams match-up with Australia on Friday July 14 at TD Place in Ottawa.
With kick-off at 7:00 p.m. ET, this will be the final game of the 2023 World Rugby Pacific Four Series, wrapping up a record-breaking tour in Ottawa that saw over 10,000 fans watch Canada play New Zealand on Saturday July 8. Fridays match will also be broadcast on TSN1.
University of Ottawas Claire Gallagher will earn her first start for Canadas Womens Rugby Team, having earned her first cap against New Zealand on Saturday, coming on in the second half. Mya Brubacher and Sara Cline are two potential debutants on the roster for Friday, should they be subbed in.
DaLeaka Menin will continue to move up the list of all-time appearances for Canadas Womens Rugby Team on Friday, playing in her 47th game and tying Elissa Alarie for fifth all-time. Tyson Beukeboom, second all-time in caps for the team, will play in a milestone 60th game.
“Our team has spent the last few days reflecting on our learnings from our match against New Zealand and continuing to prepare for Australia, said Rouet. We are looking forward to getting back on the pitch to play another great opponent in front of another great home crowd. As with New Zealand, Fridays match is yet again an important step in our progression towards the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
Canada and the Wallaroos last met on June 18, 2022, in New Zealand for the previous edition of the Pacific Four Series, a 22-10 win for Canada.
Both Canada and Australia have wins over the USA and losses to New Zealand so far in the 2023 Pacific Four Series. Canada started the tournament with a 50-17 win over the United States on April 1 in Madrid, followed by a 52-21 loss to the Black Ferns on Saturday in Ottawa. Australia met New Zealand in Brisbane on June 29, falling 50-0, before rebounding to win 58-17 over the USA this past Saturday.
New Zealand remains at the top of the standings with 10 points. Canada and Australia have five points each, with Canada taking second place in the standings due to point differential (+2 for Canada, -9 for Australia).
Qualification for the inaugural WXV, a new three-tier annual global womens international 15s competition, is on the line, with the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series qualifying for the top WXV tier and the bottom team headed for tier 2. With their win over Canada on Saturday, New Zealand secured their WXV1 berth, leaving two berths remaining that will be decided on Friday.
Tickets start at just $20 and can be purchased at rugby.ca/en/tickets. Questions regarding ticket purchases can be directed to tickets@rugby.ca.
More information on the 2023 World Rugby Pacific Four Series can be found here.
WHERE TO WATCH
JULY 14
New Zealand vs USA 1:00 p.m. PT / 4:00 p.m. ET on TSN+
Canada vs Australia 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on TSN1
More information on TSN+, an all-new streaming service, can be found at tsn.ca/tsnplus.
CANADAS WOMENS RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs AUSTRALIA
1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) Aurora Barbarians
?2. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs??
3. Daleaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) Exeter Chiefs?
4. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) Cowichan RFC??
5. Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) Red Deer Titans Rugby
6. Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
7. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais??
8. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) Castaway Wanderers RFC??
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais?
10. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) Aurora Barbarians / University of Ottawa
11. Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors??
12. Sara Kaljuvee (Ajax, ON) Toronto Scottish / Westshore RFC?
13. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) CRFC
14. Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) Club de rugby de Québec / Lons Section Paloise?
15. Madison Grant (Cornwall, ON) Cornwall Claymores?
16. Mya Brubacher (West Montrose, ON) Kingston Panthers / Queens University?
17. Sara Cline (Edmonton, AB) Leprechaun Tigers
18. Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens?
19. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat?
20. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) Castaway Wanderers / Exeter Chiefs
21. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) Lindsay RFC
22. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) Guelph Redcoats / Castaway Wanderers?
23. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) NorWester Athletic Association / Westshore RFC