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Rouet urges Canada to shift mindset as quarter-final team is named
By Joe Harvey
Canada head coach Kévin Rouet has made three changes to his starting team ahead of their 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash with Australia.
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The Frenchman has implored his players to shift their mindset to “do or die rugby” after they topped Pool B to set up a winner-takes-all clash with Jo Yapp’s Wallaroos at Ashton Gate Stadium.
After she won her 50th cap from the replacements last weekend, Courtney O’Donnell swaps places with her country’s leading appearance maker, Tyson Beukeboom, and partners the hard-working and goal kicking Sophie de Goede in the second row.
There is also a reshuffle in the back-row. Fabiola Forteza has moved from blindside flanker to No.8 to allow Caroline Crossley into the pack. Gabrielle Senft will enter the game from the finishers.
In the backline there is just one change as Alysha Corrigan is a direct swap for Paige Farries on the wing. She joins Asia Hogan-Rochester and Julia Schell in the back three.
It was an interesting group stages for Canada. At the end of their matches against Fiji, Wales and Scotland the accumulative scoreline was 147-26.
But these dominant performances were marred by individual errors and mistakes that you would not generally attribute to a side ranked second in the world and contending for the World Cup.
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Throughout it all the sentiments from the Canada camp have been consistent. They have spoken about getting consistent growth and peaking at the right time. With the World Cup now shifting to winner-stays-on, Rouet has asked for more from his squad.
“Our goal coming into the world cup was to finish on top of our pool and we did that,” he said.
“Now we have to shift our mindset to do or die rugby. We know what we are capable of as a team on the pitch and you can see how the team has been building through the first three games.
“The preparation this week has been about continuing to refine our skills and the details in our game so we can put together a performance to be proud of.”
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In Australia the Canadians know plenty about their opponents. Regular opponents in the Pacific Four Series, the Maple Leafs have never lost out to the Wallaroos in any of their previous seven meetings.
The most recent of those meetings came in May as Rouet’s side dominated 45-7 in Brisbane as seven different players made their way over the whitewash.
Statistically Canada have outperformed this weekend’s opponents significantly. They are one of just two teams to have retained possession from at least 90 per cent of their lineouts (90.5 per cent) and have the quickest average ruck speed while in attack in the entire tournament (2.38s).
Where Australia have thrived is in defence. Piper Duck has made 58 tackles over the pool stages (second to only Scotland’s Evie Gallagher) and Tabua Tuinakauvadra has got six turnovers (joint-second at the World Cup).
Canada Line-Up vs Australia
1. McKinley Hunt (35 caps)
2. Emily Tuttosi (38 caps)
3. DaLeaka Menin (66 caps)
4. Sophie de Goede (38 caps)
5. Courtney O’Donnell (50 caps)
6. Caroline Crossley (10 caps)
7. Karen Paquin (48 caps)
8. Fabiola Forteza (38 caps)
9. Justine Pelletier (40 caps)
10. Taylor Perry (20 caps)
11. Asia Hogan-Rochester (5 caps)
12. Alexandra Tessier (61 caps)
13. Florence Symonds (13 caps)
14. Alysha Corrigan (23 caps)
15. Julia Schell (29 caps)
Finishers
16. Gillian Boag (36 caps)
17. Brittany Kassil (50 caps)
18. Olivia DeMerchant (63 caps)
19. Tyson Beukeboom (81 caps)
20. Laetitia Royer (19 caps)
21. Gabrielle Senft (37 caps)
22. Olivia Apps (22 caps)
23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (22 caps)