Scoring Chances Go Begging as USA WNT Falls to Canada

Canada beat the USA 15-9 Monday night in the first women's test match for either team since 2019.

While it's common to say that a team handed the opposition points with mistakes, this wasn't quite the case Monday at Infinity Park. Instead, USA mistakes merely served to undercut their own chances. Repeatedly the Eagles had attacking lineouts, attacking scrums inside the Canadian 22, or some open-field space, and scuttled it with a lineout miscue, a penalty, or a dropped ball.

Canada, meanwhile, also had rust to shake off, but did produce two well-taken tries. 

The first had a curious beginning. The USA was on the attack and working a maul in the Canada 22. Canada lock Emma Taylor was ordered by the referee repeatedly to get out of the maul, but she never did. There was no penalty, however, and the Eagles ended up being penalized a moment later for holding on. Canada tapped quickly and worked the ball down the left side nicely, making it all the way to the USA 22 before spinning it right. There wing Renee Gonzalez cut through a desultory tackle attempt from Sarah Levy and was in for the try.

The Eagles came back with a penalty inside the Canadian half, and flyhalf Megan Foster put it over to make it 5-3.

The USA team wore KF on their jerseys to honor former USA star and later coach Kathy Flores, who died October 21

Remembering Kathy Flores pic.twitter.com/NZZgMNMRph

— USA Rugby (@USARugby) November 1, 2021

The game remained that way partly because Foster was unable to connect on a long penalty attempt. Then a kick out on the full gave Canada a lineout inside the USA half and they put on the pressure, got a couple of penalties, and bashed at the USA goalline for a long period of phases. The USA defense was good, but eventually there was space out wide where flanker Karen Paquin sold a dummy and scored.

No. 8 Sophie de Goede, who had come on in the first few minutes when Janna Slevinsky was cruelly injured, slotted the conversion.

The second half was much more to the USA's liking. they got an early penalty from Foster to make it 12-6, and continued to attack. However, after a good first half with the lineout, they started to make errors. A not straight here, a slow lift there, a non-lift elsewhere, and penalties, a superb 50-22 from McKenzie Hawkins, and other opportunities ended up giving the Eagles nothing.

On the other hand, Canada was struggling with continuity as both teams contested very hard at the breakdown. The USA looked the better in attack, finally getting a quick-offload game going in which forwards and backs started to challenge the Canadian defense. Alycia Washington, Hope Rogers, and captain Kate Zackary were especially effective in this, but center Gabby Cantorna was also breaking tackles.

When the reserves came on, Ilona Maher (getting her first cap) made sure it took more than two tacklers to bring her down.

Another Foster penalty made it a three-point game at 12-9, but a silly penalty from the USA gave de Goede a chance and she put it over to make it 15-9.

The USA had a superb chance late in the game after a clearance kick mistake from Canada. Big runs from center Joanne Nana Fa'avesi and flanker Rachel Johnson got them close and the Eagles recycled well to get a few more bites at the apple. In the end, though, Fa'avesi was perhaps a bit too eager and was held up. Canada got to clear their lines, and after that they got the ball back and finished out the game.

For the USA, execution of their lineout in scoring position will certainly be a work-on, and they have to be a little concerned with the scrum, which was under a ton of pressure. However, when they popped quick passes out of contact and used Rogers et al to bull through they were impressive. 

Canada's power in the breakdown, and the fact they were able to slow down USA ball, were positives and their outside backs looked dangerous. But they didn't shake the USA loose.

Zackary said she was thrilled to play a test match again, and in front of fans, but added there's more to see from the USA.

"A few too many penalties," said the captain in her usual understated way. "We showed about 70% of what we've been working on."

Canada captain and prop Olivia Demerchant said her team needed to fix some mistakes and penalties, but for such a long layoff, she also had to acknowledge that a win is a pretty good thing to get on the road.

All reserves were used by both teams, so four USA players earned their first caps. USA and Canada meet up again in Glendale on Friday November 5.

Full game is here:

USA 9
Pens: Foster

Canada 12
Tries: Gonzalez, Paquin
Convs: de Goede