Scotland v Canada talking points: The Scots need to keep Evie Gallagher fit

Canada warmed up for their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final rematch with England in Exeter next weekend with a comfortable victory over Scotland at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.

The visitors opened their WXV Global Series campaign with a 64-26 triumph, scoring 10 tries in the process, with scrum-half Olivia Apps being a driving force and named as player of the match.

Scotland did well in patches of their first game under the leadership of interim head coach Dave Butcher as their new start era begins.

Canada took the lead after five minutes when a quick tap by Apps put back-row Lizzie Gibson over for a try, which full-back Claire Gallagher converted.

Apps, who was controlling the game at this stage, then sniped round the corner out wide five minutes later for try number two and it was 12-0.

Scotland got themselves into things with a close range try by back-row Evie Gallagher, which was converted by Helen Nelson, but by the end of the first quarter it was 19-7.

After winger Charity Williams had a try disallowed on her debut, Canada’s fourth and fifth tries came via loosehead prop Brittany Kassil and back-row Julia Omokhuale, and they were 31-7 up after half an hour.

Scotland then turned defence into attack to score their second try through winger Shona Campbell, before Apps had a try disallowed, and it was 31-12 at half-time.

Canada started the second half at the same pace as they started the first, and their sixth and seventh tries came from stand-off Taylor Perry and Apps.

Canada number eight Gabrielle Senft was then yellow carded in the 53rd minute and, three minutes later, Kassil was also sin binned for head on head contact.

Against 13 players, Scotland hooker Lana Skeldon scored a try and it was 45-19 heading into the final quarter.

Replacement Justine Pelletier scored for 13-player Canada to make it 52-19, before Kassil’s yellow was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

Winger Rhona Lloyd bagged Scotland’s fourth try with seven minutes to go, before Senft and debutant Savannah Bauder scored and it finished 64-26.

Here are the game’s main talking points…

Happy Apps

In the first game of a new season you want players to take games by the scruff of the neck early on and stamp their mark on things.

Canada scrum-half Olivia Apps did just that and her quick thinking and general speed of play helped give her side their early 12-0 lead.

She set up back-row Lizzie Gibson for the first try and then scored the second herself.

And, once Scotland were on the scoreboard, Apps was at the heart of things again as Canada scored a third try to make it 19-7.

She had a try disallowed and scored her second after the break.

Powerful forwards get Canada on the front foot

Alongside the ingenuity of Apps, Canada’s big ball carriers were up for this one from the start, and if the number nine was sniping and running through gaps, the forwards were running straight at people and making yards.

Hooker Kiki Idowu, second row Laetitia Royer, back-row Lizzie Gibson and No.8 Gabrielle Senft were the main protagonists who were making yards, with Idowu particularly impressive.

Their runs put Scotland on the back foot and chasing shadows at times in the first 40 minutes and allowed the Canadians to build up a healthy lead by half-time.

Scotland find some fire late in the first half

Scotland had been a bit passive in the first 30 minutes as Canada built up a lead, but in the 33rd minute, they showed a bit more of the aggression that interim head coach Dave Butcher will want from his side moving forwards.

They put pressure on the Canada scrum within their own 22 and then turned over the ball via scrum-half Rhea Clarke.

She then fed back-row Evie Gallagher, who put winger Shona Campbell in for the score. There was just a bit more fire in those actions than we had seen earlier in the half.

The Scots need to keep Evie Gallagher fit

Gallagher, the Bristol Bear, missed the whole of the Women’s Six Nations in April and May and it left a big hole on both sides of the ball for Scotland.

She is a physical player, who also has good footwork and she leads by example, alongside skipper Rachel Malcolm in the back-row.

She played well here and she will be a big player if Scotland are to have any chance to compete with New Zealand next week.

And, as they target the three games with Australia after that, she might be even more important in those three outings.

Canada have building blocks in place ahead of England, but know they’ll need to be much better at Sandy Park

Canada scored 10 tries, dominated large parts of the game and were pretty comfortable without ever hitting top gear.

They will have changes in their starting XV for England up next and they know that they will need to step things up a level – or two or three – for that one.

This win has given them a good base to build from though, and head coach Kevin Rouet will have been pleased with plenty of elements of this outing.

Now onto the big one for them…