Canada's Shoshanah Seumanutafa, right, eludes France's Madoussou Fall, left, during WXV 1 women's rugby union action in Vancouver, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
VANCOUVER – Canada’s women’s 15s rugby squad opened its WXV 1 tournament with a dominant 46-24 victory over France on Sunday.
Fancy Bermudez and Laetitia Royer each scored a pair of tries for the world No. 3 Canadians, while Paige Farries, Emily Tuttosi and Asia Hogan-Rochester each contributed one apiece.
Alex Tessier booted four conversions and a penalty kick for the home nation, who are hosting the international tournament for the first time.
Fourth-ranked France got tries from Melissande Llorens, Marine Menager, Pauline Bourdon and Nassira Konde, and two conversions from Chloe Jacquet.
Earlier on Sunday, No. 1 England thumped the eighth-ranked U.S. 61-21 in the first game of the tournament. No. 2 New Zealand is set to battle No. 7 Ireland in the final game of the opening day’s action.
Play will continue in Langley, B.C., next weekend before returning to B.C. Place on Oct. 11 and 12.
Canada wasted little time in establishing itself against France on Sunday.
Four minutes in, Shoshanah Seumanutafa escaped a tackle and dished off to Farries, who took a few steps and stretched over the goal line for the first try of the afternoon. Tessier booted the convert and the home side took an early 7-0 lead.
France replied with a big push up the pitch and Canada held them off until the eighth minute when Jacquet tossed the ball to Llorens at the far sideline. Llorens dove in to get France on the board and Jacquet added a convert to tie the game at 7-7.
The two nations traded chances until Bermudez scored in the 22nd minute. The Canadian right wing collected a pass and slipped through a pair of French defenders before diving over the goal line to touch. Tessier added two points and Canada went up 14-7.
A Canadian defensive lapse proved costly in the 26th minute. Standing at the touchline for a throw in, French fly-half Lina Queyroi spotted Menager unmarked and sent her the ball. The right wing sprinted down the field, pursued by Seumanutafa, and touched before the Canadian could haul her down. Jacquet’s successful convert tied the game once again at 14-14.
Some persistent offence paid off for Canada six minutes later following a line out. Steps from the French goal line, Team Canada ground away before Royer grabbed the ball and jumped over the pile for a try, boosting the advantage to 19-14.
The lead increased to 10 points ahead of the half after the squad worked the ball down the line to Bermudez, who broke a tackle and dashed in for her second try of the afternoon.
After controlling 52 per cent of the possession across the first half, Canada took a 24-14 cushion into the locker room.
France began to close the gap in the 47th minute when Pauline Bourdon slipped through the Canadian line. Bermudez flew in for the tackle, but the French scrum-half got over the line first, cutting Canada’s lead to 24-19.
The home side replied five minutes later out of a scrum. Captain Justine Pelletier got the ball but was taken down just ahead of the goal line. Royer came up with it and muscled it in for Canada’s fifth try of the day. Two points from Tessier made it 31-19 for the Canadians.
A French line out paid off in the 59th minute. The visitors worked the ball across the field to Konde, who touched as she was taken down, cutting her side’s deficit to 31-24.
Canada’s defence continued to force turnovers and, in the 66th minute, Tuttosi powered through a crowd on the goal line to touch. Two points from Tessier put the Canadians up 38-24.
Tessier added another three points by blasting a penalty kick through the uprights in the 74th minute after France’s Madoussou Fall was shown a yellow card.
Substitute Hogan-Rochester sealed the score at 46-24 in the game’s final seconds, darting around a French defender and over the goal line.
A member of the sevens team that captured silver in Paris this summer, Hogan-Rochester came on for fellow Olympian Bermudez in the 65th minute.
Canada returns to action Saturday when it takes on Ireland in Langley. It will close the tournament by battling England back in Vancouver on Oct. 12.
Now in its second year, the WXV is a three-tiered tournament, with teams in the top division coming from the top three finishers in the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and Women’s Six Nations Championship (England, France and Ireland).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2024.
