Red Roses Make It Double Against Canada
England’s Red Roses claimed a 29-12 win over Canada at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium on Saturday, 30th September. Despite their penalty count reaching the high teens, England were able to complete their clean sweep against the Maple Leafs in their two-test series before heading to New Zealand for the inaugural WXV tournament.
England opened proceedings in the tenth minute through captain Marlie Packer from the back of their signature driving maul. This was quickly followed by a Claudia MacDonald line break, allowing Ellie Kildunne to power over for England’s second. The hosts missed a chance to score again just a minute later, with Zoe Aldcroft failing to pounce on her own charge down inside the in-goal area.
Canada found themselves invigorated after going down a player; flanker Gabrielle Senft saw red for head contact with Red Roses prop Hannah Botterman. A slow clearance attempt from the scrum by Holly Aitchison was charged down by Canada’s Sara Svoboda and this time successfully dotted down.
Gloucester-Hartpury prop, Maud Muir, charged over for England’s third try. Megan Jones’ successful conversion took the scores to 17-5 in England’s favour at the break.
Substitutes began to be made early into the second half, with replacement prop Sarah Bern making an immediate impact for England in setting up Amber Reed for her side’s fourth try. A period of misfires for the Red Roses followed this. Kildunne made a break, only for her pass to go into touch instead of, shoe-in, Jessica Breach’s hands. Minutes later, captain Packer found herself at the back of yet another English driving maul, for the ball to be dropped over the line.
Saracens’ midfielder, Sophie Bridger, made her England debut, on her club’s home turf, just after the hour mark, with Great Britain 7s Olympian, Jones, slotting in at flyhalf, after two years out of the England setup. The final quarter of the match was played at fourteen-a-side, after replacement scrumhalf, Lucy Packer, limped off with an injury, leaving winger MacDonald to fill in at halfback.
Breach, now at fullback, scored England’s fifth and final try of the day, slicing through the Canadian defence at scrum-time. Minutes later, Canada claimed their second, through a Taylor Perry burst inside the English 22. Mercurial captain and number eight, Sophie de Goede, clinched the visitors’ final points of the afternoon with a spectacular touchline conversion.
The Bollinger Player of the Match was awarded to England’s Reed, although a mention must be given to de Goede, who showed her world class ability and helped keep her side in the match despite their numerical disadvantage.
England will start their WXV campaign in New Zealand on 20th October, where they will face Australia, Canada, and New Zealand over successive weekends. Former All Blacks boss, and two-time England men’s assistant coach, John Mitchell, is expected to join up with the squad following the conclusion of his duties with Japan at the ongoing men’s Rugby World Cup in France.
Full time: England 29-12 Canada.
England: Kildunne, Breach, Jones, Reed, MacDonald, Aitchison, Hunt; Botterman, Atkin-Davies, Muir, Aldcroft, Beckett, Talling, Allen, M Packer (c).
Replacements: Powell, Carson, Bern, O’Donnell, Galligan, L Packer, Bridger (debut), Dow.
Canada: Grant, Farries, Bermudez, Perry, Scurfield (debut), Gallagher, Pelletier (vc); Demarchant, Tuttosi, Menin, Beukeboom, Holtkamp, Senft, Svoboda, de Goede (c).
Replacements: Boag, Hunt, Ellis, Royer, Forteza, Apps, Seumanutafa, Symonds.
Attendance: 6,609.
