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Rouet and Tessier buoyed by first half performance against Australia
at Ashton Gate, Bristol
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Kévin Rouet believes that his Canada team had their best performance of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup as they knocked Australia out of the quarter-finals.
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The North Americans scored seven tried to beat Jo Yapp’s Wallaroos 46-5 at Ashton Gate Stadium to book their place in the final four.
Despite topping their pool, the Canadians’ performances were criticised by Rouet as individual errors and mistakes prevented the side from getting any real flow.
A strong first half performance in Bristol on Saturday say no such speed bumps.
Asia Hogan-Rochester opened the scoring after just two minutes, before Alysha Corrigan’s brace and efforts from Sophie de Goede and McKinley Hunt meant that the scoreline read 31-5 at the break as Desiree Miller’s solo effort got Australia on the board.
It was a much different story in the second half as scores for Fabiola Forteza and the evergreen Karen Paquin finished things off.
“The first 40 minutes as a great performance,” Rouet said. “We managed the game in the second half. We slowed down a little bit.
“I’m very proud of the effort for the first half and I think we put the game away after 40 minutes. I think they did two halves very differently. But in a good way.”
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It was an enjoyable afternoon for Alex Tessier. The 2024 World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year nominee was at the heart of her team’s first-half onslaught.
Whether it was distributing the ball in the back field or watching as her forwards popped the ball between one another, 32-year-old was in dreamland as her team’s much talked about attacking style spring into life.
“It was quite an exciting first half,” Tessier said. “We started the way we started, and it was just imposing our tempo game.
“It was very fun. I enjoyed myself in that first half. I am super proud of the girls, and I think everybody enjoyed themselves in that first half.
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“It was a matter of controlling and getting the job done in the second half.”
Their Saturday afternoon success means that Canada now have a semi-final with the world champion Black Ferns to look forward to.
Allan Bunting’s team survived a first-half scare at Sandy Park against the Springbok Women to win 46-17.
At the end of the first half it was 10-all in Exeter. A second half onslaught saw Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Kaipo Olsen-Baker and Katelyn Vaha’akolo dot down to put clear daylight between the two teams.
In recent years Canada have had the monopoly over their opponents. A first-ever win over New Zealand last year and a draw in this year’s Pacific Four Series make it an intriguing encounter.
“I think the first time we beat them (in 2024) it pushed us ahead,” Tessier said. “I think it gave us a huge boost of confidence and then the second time, drawing with them, kind of confirmed where we’re at. That we’ve been growing.
“I think it is factual now that we grow after each game. There was a huge boost. We’ll recover, we’ll review ourselves today and we’ll switch quickly to focus on what’s next. Which is preparing for the Black Ferns.”
