In front of over 11,000 in Ottawa Canada shook off an iffy opening 35 minutes to run away with a 42-10 victory over the USA women in the Eagles’ final test match before the 2025 Rugby World Cup.
The scoreline isn’t pretty and was made less so by a superb goalkicking display from star lock Sophie de Goede, who started her first match for Canada since suffering a nasty knee injury last year.
De Goede was superb on the evening as was scrumhalf Olivia Apps. But in the first half the USA was probably the better side, at least in the first half hour. Their finishing was not good, however, and at halftime the scoreline was Canada 14 USA 10, when, with a bit more clinical play, the Eagles could have been leading 21-7.
But theoretical points don’t count.
The Eagles won their kickoff to start the game and sent props Keia Mae Sagapolu and Hope Rogers charging on. Good carrying from center Alev Kelter got the Eagles closer and finally No. 8 Freda Tafuna powered over. McKenzie Hawkins converted and it was 7-0.
Canada responded but the USA defense held well. A counter-ruck from scrurmhalf Cassidy Bargell forced a turnover and a deep kick and chase forced Canada into a mistake.
On the front foot the Eagles lost that momentum when Hawkins took her eye off Bargell’s pass.
Canada came back and threatened and it looked like they were set to score, but the play was called back for a gator roll on Kelter. De Goede was yellow-carded for that play, which was a little harsh, and with that reprieve the USA worked the phases.
Their ballhandling had been better in the opening minutes but mistakes began to creep into the USA play. Hawkins and Kelter both had the ball ripped out of their hands. After a penalty for a late hit by a Canadian player, the Eagles then fumbled their lineout in a prime attacking position.
Chances Lost
Still the USA was in scoring territory. They ran a maul helped by Kelter and Ilona Maher. That maul was stopped but the Eagles surged on, only for Sagapolu to lose the ball in the tackle.
With De Goede’s yellow card almost up Canada had a scrum deep in their 22, and Apps sniped weak and caught everyone napping. She raced on to midfield and kicked into the USA 22. The Eagles barely survived that, but they had ceded the momentum and secured no points from all that territory.
On came Canada, pressuring the USA, and eventually mauled it to the line. On a pick-and-go in the corner Hallie Taufoou loitered offside to make the tackle—penalty try for Canada and a yellow card for Taufoou. Now it was 7-7.
The USA came back with a strong period of play. Tafuna poached the ball and then on a penalty advantage Hawkins sent a grubber through for Kelter and Bulou Mataitoga to chase. The USA fullback was ruled to have touched it down, but further examination from the TMO showed that Kelter had knocked the ball on. No try. The play came back for a penalty and Hawkins put it over the bar for a 10-7 lead at 32 minutes.
The Eagles had more chances. Their support at ruck time was good and they were forcing Canada into penalties—perhaps not as many as they deserved, as a couple of off-the-ball incidents and a tendency to drift offside weren’t addressed. Having said that, overall referee Ella Goldsmith of Australia had a strong game and did well to let both teams play.
The problem for the USA was key errors. Hawkins tried to get too much territory on a kick to touch after a penalty, and didn’t find the sideline. Canada’s scrum forced a penalty and a quick tap caught the USA responding slowly again.
As the half drew to a close Canada drove to the line and after some TMO drama, prop McKinley Hunt was deemed to have touched it down. De Goede slotted the touch kick and it was 14-10.
Momentum Shift
The second half was all almost Canada. Cheta Emba was dinged early in the half for an intentional knock-on, a call that was perhaps harsh but not unfair. Canada took advantage with a superb maul that saw No. 8 Gabrielle Sanft over. De Goede again kicked the kick.
The USA found some chance to attack and some good interplay between Sagapolu and Tafuna opened up maybe a sniff of a chance. But Hawkins’s wide kick took an unlucky turf bounce into Canadian hands, and that was that.
Through the first and second half the USA’s lineout function quite well, unless they went long. Every time they went long it was a turnover, and at some point you had to wonder at the wisdom of choosing that option.
Now inching toward 60 minutes, it was still only 21-10. The USA was defending and when they had the ball they were retaining it through some phases. But overall Canada looked more dangerous, got the ball away form the breakdown more quickly, and played with more adventure.
All of that set up a brilliant move between reserve scrumhalf Juestine Pelletier and de Goede, but that was called back for obstruction (flanker Karen Paquin dove past a ruck and took out Bargell, right where Pelletier would run). It was a shame because that was a nice-looking move.
