IRELAND WOMEN 26 CANADA WOMEN 47, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Béibhinn Parsons 2, Anna McGann 2; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 3
Canada: Tries: Florence Symonds 2, Justine Pelletier, DaLeaka Menin, Paige Farries, Julia Schell, Sophie de Goede; Cons: Sophie de Goede 6
HT: Ireland 7 Canada 33
CANADA showed their class to record a 47-26 win at Ulster’s Affidea Stadium, but a much sharper second-half performance gave Ireland a timely lift heading into the Rugby World Cup in a fortnight’s time.
Wingers Béibhinn Parsons and Anna McGann scored two tries each, and replacement prop Ellena Perry made her Ireland debut, as Scott Bemand’s side recovered from a sluggish start to cause Canada plenty of problems.
Ireland fell 14-0 behind for the second week running, and despite Parsons’ opportunist 20th-minute score, this athletic Canadian outfit racked up five tries – four of them converted by Sophie de Goede – to lead 33-7 at the break.
Florence Symond (2), Justine Pelletier, DaLeake Menin, who returned from the sin bin, and Paige Farries all crossed the whitewash for the world’s second-ranked team, who, with the breeze behind them, looked more cohesive and were often first to 50-50 balls.
Despite Julia Schell’s breakaway effort, the hosts had the better of the final 40 minutes with a run of three successive tries – McGann brilliantly burst through from 35 metres out, either side of Stacey Flood putting either winger over.
However, full-back Flood ended the game in the sin bin, and Canada had the final say when de Goede crossed and converted to take her own haul to 17 points. It was a frustrating finish for the hosts, whose bench was very effective.
Ireland’s extended group will be cut to 32 players when their Rugby World Cup squad is announced on Monday, with all roads leading to Northampton for their opening Pool C match against Japan on Sunday, August 24.
A series of penalties allowed Canada to apply the early pressure, prompting a seventh-minute warning for the hosts. Grace Moore, with an important tackle on the influential Pelletier, and Ivana Kiripati led Ireland’s defensive resistence.
However, centre Symonds, one of Canada Sevens’ Olympic silver medallists, showed her speed and strength to bump off Enya Breen’s tackle and jink her way inside Dannah O’Brien’s last-ditch tackle to touch down under the posts.
Second row de Goede converted and also added the extras to Pelletier’s sniping 14th-minute score. Canada’s lineout was not working out, but the Stade Bordelais scrum half broke from a ruck just outside Ireland’s 22 to double their lead.
Coming to Europe with the momentum of scoring four unanswered second half tries against the USA, Kevin Rouet’s side were also negating the influence of O’Brien’s left boot with their back-field coverage.
Ireland ended the opening quarter with a numerical advantage, as Canadian tighthead Menin saw yellow for a high tackle on Kiripati. They quickly made it count, with Moore and Kiripati involved in a spate of carries inside the opposition 22.
Possession was retained and Ireland’s half-backs combined with Aoife Dalton to find Parsons out wide, and the Ballinasloe native, using her Sevens experience, bounced up out of a double tackle to regather the ball and cross near the right corner.
A quality strike from O’Brien closed the gap further to 14-7, but Symonds soon completed her brace. Ireland were defending well until the 23-year-old broke out of Dalton’s tackle and evaded the clutches of Breen on another pacy run-in.
Jones was sent to the sin bin for side-entry at a Canadian maul, as Ireland paid the price for their indiscipline. Tighthead Menin returned to the pitch for the next series of set-pieces, and drove in low to score after Fabiola Forteza had been denied.
Now 19 points in arrears, 14-woman Ireland continued to struggle for possession. More penalties and errors gave Canada the platform, with Pelletier scrambling up close before de Goede did well to keep the attack going and winger Farries was freed up to go over out wide.
An Aoibheann Reilly snipe sparked a much-improved spell from Ireland’s attack early on the resumption. They hammered away, with Canada leaking penalties, including one at scrum time, before Pelletier’s rip in a tackle secured a crucial turnover.
Nearing the hour mark, full-back Flood ran a kick back with interest, linking with O’Brien whose attempted offload went to ground. Alysha Corrigan swooped on it, and releasing the onrushing Schell to scamper clear from 60 metres out. De Goede converted for a 40-7 scoreline.
Ireland then pulled back five points with an attacking flurry, aided by the power of replacements Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald, Monaghan, and Perry. Flood’s classy skip pass to put McGann over with reached finish out of Corrigan’s tackle. O’Brien’s conversion came back off the near post.
The rangy McGann made it a quick-fire double with a terrific finish from midfield, this time splitting the defence herself with a strong run between two defenders, and her pace and power took her over past the covering Schell and Olivia Apps. O’Brien’s extras left it 40-19.
Solid defence from Ireland, coupled with some penalties against Canada, invited them forward again. Emily Lane came on to make the best use of quick ball, and after good carrying from the forwards, Flood supplied a pinpoint assist for Parsons to cross to the right of the posts.
Following O’Brien’s crisp conversion to leave two converted scores in it, Canada came hunting for a response. Flood went too high on Claire Gallagher, drawing a yellow card, and moving infield at pace from a lineout, the opportunity was created for de Goede to crash over beside the posts.
IRELAND: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster); Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Neve Jones (Gloucester-Hartpury) (co-capt), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster), Grace Moore (Trailfinders Women/IQ Rugby), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC/Connacht), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).
Replacements: Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald (Exeter Chiefs), Ellena Perry (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Eimear Corri Fallon (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Sam Monaghan (Gloucester-Hartpury/IQ Rugby) (c0-capt), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC).
CANADA: Julia Schell (Guelph Goats/Castaway Wanderers/Trailfinders Women); Alysha Corrigan (CRFC/Saracens), Florence Symonds (University of British Columbia), Alex Tessier (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC/Exeter Chiefs), Paige Farries (Saracens); Claire Gallagher (Aurora Barbarians/Leicester Tigers), Justine Pelletier (Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais); McKinley Hunt (Aurora Barbarians/Saracens), Gillian Boag (Capilano RFC), DaLeaka Menin (Calgary Hornets/Exeter Chiefs), Sophie de Goede (Castaway Wanderers/Saracens), Tyson Beukeboom (Cowichan Piggies/Aurora Barbarians/Trailfinders Women), Karen Paquin (Club de rugby de Québec), Caroline Crossley (Castaway Wanderers), Fabiola Forteza (Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais).
Replacements: Emily Tuttosi (Calgary Hornets/Exeter Chiefs), Brittany Kassil (Guelph Goats), Olivia DeMerchant (Halifax Tars RFC), Courtney O’Donnell (Red Deer Titans Rugby), Pamphinette Buisa (Ottawa Irish), Olivia Apps (Lindsay RFC), Shoshanah Seumanutafa (Counties Manukau), Sarah-Maude Lachance (Club de rugby de Québec/Stade Bordelais).
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
