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John Mitchell: 'I think we are the standard bearers'
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RWC 2025: Four takeaways from Canada v Wales
By Martyn Thomas at Salford Community Stadium, Salford
Canada booked their place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-finals with a 42-0 victory at Salford Community Stadium that ended Wales’ hopes of advancing from Pool B.
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Wales started the match brightly and dominated territory in the opening 15 minutes but were unable to translate that early dominance into points, and McKinley Hunt opened the scoring with the first of her two tries.
Canada went into half time leading 28-0, and with a bonus point secured, after Alysha Corrigan, Hunt again and Asia Hogan-Rochester crossed in the space of five minutes.
Taylor Perry and Brittany Kassil added second-half tries for Canada while Wales No.8 Georgia Evans was in the sin bin. Canada’s Olivia DeMerchant later received a yellow card but Wales were unable to make that period count on the scoreboard.
Canada show their variety
This was a very different victory to Canada’s opening triumph against Fiji. Kevin Rouet’s side were made to weather an early storm in Salford as Wales tore into them.
Yet once that foothold had been established, Canada flexed their collective muscle. Seemingly unruffled by the 15 minutes spent defending their own line, they looked bigger, stronger and faster than their opponents in every department for the remaining 65.
It was an ominous performance for those set to face the world’s second best team in the coming weeks, whether that be Scotland next week or whoever comes in the knockout rounds.
Player of the Match Sophie de Goede was excellent again in the second row, topping the carry stats (19 for 62 metres) and making an impressive nine tackles on the other side of the ball. Naturally, she kicked all six attempts at goal too.
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But it was the variety of tries Canada scored that will have those opposition defence coaches sweating.
If this team doesn’t beat you up down the middle, they have the speedsters to run around you out wide. Outside of England, they definitely look like the team to beat.
Forwards step up for Canada
If the rout of Fiji last weekend allowed Canada’s flair players to showcase their talents – hello, Julia Schell – then this victory owed more to the grunt of their forwards.
First, it was their defensive nous that ensured they didn’t fall behind early – or concede at all – and then their forwards excelled at the other end of the pitch.
Three of their tries were scored by front row forwards while a fourth – Corrigan’s first-half effort – owed much to work of the pack as Canada went through 12 phases inside the Welsh 22.
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Canada didn’t take a backward step at the set-piece either, ending the match with 100 per cent success at scrum time and 93 per cent at the lineout.
Scotland will be confident of putting those areas under more pressure than Wales managed here but Rouet’s side have answered every question asked of them so far.
Wales fail to maintain intensity
Wales coach Sean Lynn called for intensity, bravery and leadership ahead of the match and for 15 minutes his side delivered.
None of those qualities were lacking in the opening exchanges as Wales virtually camped themselves inside the Canada 22 and laid siege to their opposition line.
However, they were unable to quite create the opening to make that territory count and when the opening score came, it went the way of the Canadians.
Putting that much effort in offensively only to concede can take a mental as well as physical toll on a team. But it wasn’t until Canada scored their second try – 10 minutes after their first – that that fragility reared its head.
Corrigan’s 26th-minute score deflated Wales, though, and Lynn’s side conceded twice again before the clock reached 31. The defending for Hogan-Rochester’s bonus point-confirming try in particular brought back painful memories of last weekend.
That five-minute spell is when Lynn would have wanted to see his players stand up but containing a rampant and confident Canada is a task beyond most teams in the world.
Evans’ yellow card did not make things easier for Wales in the second half but restricting Canada to two second-half tries will please the Welsh coaching staff. Even if they were unable to get on the scoreboard themselves.
Wales lineout misfires
Molly Reardon may not want to relive her World Cup debut in a hurry.
The young hooker struggled with her lineout throwing throughout her 49 minutes on the pitch and things did not go much better at scrum time either.
Reardon’s first throw was nervy but the fact Bryonie King managed to rescue possession did little to restore her confidence.
Wales lost possession at their next three lineouts, at one moment allowing Canada to relieve pressure at the one time in the match they looked uncomfortable.
Those lineout struggles contributed to a succession of decisions to throw to the front but even that didn’t prove foolproof.
Reardon’s lineout struggles were the symptom of Wales’ wider issues rather than the cause and Lynn will hope the promising young hooker comes back stronger from her experience in Salford.
