Women’s WXV 1: Canada v Ireland, Willoughby Stadium, Langley Events Centre, Saturday, 11.45pm Irish time
Ireland face one of the most difficult challenges in rugby late on Saturday night (Irish time) in trying to follow up beating the World Cup winners New Zealand with another win over hosts Canada on home soil.
Currently ranked the number two side in the world rankings, Canada are also seeking their second win in the WXV 1 tournament in Vancouver, having beaten France in their first match.
Both unbeaten sides go into the game with wind in their sails and with a weather eye on the World Cup next year in England. That, at least, is how Canada’s head coach Kevin Rouet is thinking.
“We made some adjustments to the team after France because it is important that we continue to build depth in our squad,” said Rouet. “The Rugby World Cup will be a long journey and if we want to accomplish our ultimate goal, we will need a squad full of experienced and talented players. It will take more than just a group of 23 players.”
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Ireland coach Scott Bemand and his side go into the match with forced and unforced changes, and importantly without their captain Edel McMahon, who has been ruled out after sustaining a knock in training earlier in the week.
That is a blow to Ireland, not least of all for McMahon’s leadership qualities on the pitch. Blackrock College’s inside centre, Enya Breen deputises and leads Ireland out for the first time.
Breen’s Blackrock team-mate Emily Lane is another adjustment to the starting side and makes her Irish debut at scrumhalf beside Dannah O’Brien to complete the halfbacks.
Olympic Sevens player Erin King, who came up big from off the bench in the game against New Zealand, is rewarded for her two tries. She starts this week at blindside flanker with Aoife Wafer, who also scored two tries last time out and was named player of the match, switching to openside in the absence of McMahon.
The Kiwis did not know Wafer’s name before their game and referred to her as the red scrum cap. After two tries against Australia a few weeks ago and two against them last weekend, they do now.
If Ireland can back up their win with even a draw against Canada, they will climb one place to fifth in the world so long as the current fifth-placed Scotland fail to beat Japan in their meeting this afternoon at The Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town.
Ireland have not played Canada in eight years, but in beating France and scoring seven tries, Bemand is in no doubt about the difficulty of facing the hosts. France defeated Ireland 38-17 in their last meeting in this year’s Six Nations Championship.
Like Ireland, two players scored twice for Canada last week including right wing Fancy Bermudez, who won the silver medal with the Canadian Sevens team in Paris last summer, and Laetitia Royer. Asia Hogan-Rochester is another one of the five Sevens players in the team, who also touched down last week.
Of the double scorers just Burmudez starts against Ireland with Royer selected among the replacements. After breaking the all-time Canadian women’s cap record in May with her 68th cap, captain Tyson Beukeboom will hit another significant milestone against Ireland with her 70th.
“A number of players have earned their opportunity in a green jersey on Saturday having worked hard to compete across the week and it will be a special moment for Enya to lead the team for the first time, supported by our leaders,” said Bemand.
“A strong Canada outfit will provide a different challenge for us and we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.”
The likelihood is Canada will defend with much more aggression than New Zealand did last week with several of the Irish tries, including King’s score at the end of the match, coming from passive defending on their line. It is a rare opportunity for Canada to play in front of home support, and this week their intentions could not have been made clearer.
Ireland: Stacey Flood (Railway Union); Eimear Considine (UL Bohemian/Munster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union), Enya Breen (Blackrock College/Munster), Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union/Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Clíodhna Moloney (Exeter Chiefs), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere/Leinster); Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs/Munster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere/Ulster); Erin King (Old Belvedere), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster).
Replacements: Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury), Siobhán McCarthy (Worcester Warriors/Munster), Andrea Stock (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere/Munster), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster), Nicole Fowley (Galwegians/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere/Leinster).
Canada: Taylor Perry; Fancy Bermudez , Shoshanah Seumanutafa, Alexandra Tessier, Alysha Corrigan; Claire Gallagher, Justine Pelletier; Brittany Kassil, Emily Tuttosi, Alexandria Ellis; Tyson Beukeboom, Courtney Holtkamp; Pamphinette Buisa, Caroline Crossley, Gabrielle Senft.
Replacements: Sara Cline, McKinley Hunt, Rori Wood, Laetitia Royer, Fabiola Forteza, Julia Omokhuale, Olivia Apps, Julia Schell.
