ANALYSIS – In 15’s women’s rugby union, Rugby Canada earned a fantastic result at Sandy Park. For the first time ever, they secured a strong result against England Rugby in England. It also snapped England’s 39-game winning streak.
Rugby Canada Earned an Important Draw Against England Rugby
Rugby Canada’s Defence Was Solid
Canada’s defence was the biggest reason they won against England. Some examples of Canada’s defence included:
- Canada stole the ball in the 75th minute from a lineout. Sophie De Goede got the turnover. Alex Tessier made a good kick to put it away.
- Fantastic defence in the 72nd minute by Rugby Canada prevented them from scoring. Justine Pelletier and Taylor Perry earned Canada a penalty.
- Sophie De Goede made a good defensive play in the 22nd minute.
Also, a great defensive play by Gillian Boag, whose pressure on Claudia Moloney-Macdonald prevented the try. This forced Moloney-Macdonald to fumble the ball while trying to get across the goal line.
The defence, especially in the last twenty minutes of the game, was exceptional. This is what Rugby Canada head coach Kévin Rouet said about it, according to the Rugby Canada website:
This is something Canada can be proud of from Saturday’s game.
England’s Kicking Game Was Excellent
What was most impressive about England was their kicking game. This included:
- Zoe Harrison delivered a great kick in the 26th minute.
- At one point in the game, when England and Canada were exchanging kicks to advance the ball, England’s kicks were sharper than Canada’s.
This is probably England’s biggest strength over Canada. It put Canada under pressure, and it was a big reason why England scored 19 points in the first half.
DaLeaka Menin and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald Scored Two Tries Each
Both DaLeaka Menin and Claudia Moloney-MacDonald showed up for their respective sides.
Tries of both players:
Claudia Moloney-MacDonald’s first try came from a fantastic pass from Zoe Harrison, who was able to find Moloney-MacDonald for the try.
Then with the second try, Moloney-MacDonald got another fantastic pass from Harrison, as she scored her second try of the game.
The chemistry of both Maloney-MacDonald and Harrison could be seen in Saturday’s game, as they have great chemistry together, and that is why both those tries were scored.
READ MORE: Rugby Canada and Exeter Chiefs Prop: DaLeaka Menin
DaLeaka Menin scored her first try from a maul and a second try by getting through a few bodies. She scored a maul try in the 15th minute, and in the 40th minute, Olivia Apps found Menin, who had to go through some bodies before scoring a try, just before the first half ended. It was a critical try, coming at the end of the first half at Sandy Park.
Menin was also named Player of the Match on Saturday. She talked about the game, including her disappointment for not getting the win against England, according to Sky Sports Rugby:
“It was a big challenge; I am a little tired. We didn’t get exactly what we wanted, but it was a great game of rugby,” Menin said. “We have two more against them, so we will see what happens. This week we were really trying to push ourselves.
Well, Canada will get more chances to potentially win against England as they face each other two more times next month.
Other Factors: Canada’s Set Pieces Were Excellent
Canada is well-renowned for how well they do with their set pieces. This was clear in this game. Some examples included:
- Canada stole the ball from an England lineout in the 32nd minute of play.
- Menin’s first try came from a maul.
This was clearly seen in Saturday’s game in England. It was also a big reason why Canada remained tied with England at the end of half time.
READ MORE: Asia Hogan-Rochester: A Key Rugby Canada Wing Player
There was also a big game played by Canada’s Oliver Apps, who scored one try and assisted in another try; Sophie De Goede (she assisted in App’s try) and Alex Tessier (played well defensively) also played well. In addition, Asia Hogan-Rochester’s speed was shown in Saturday’s game, and Lizzie Gibson has now scored two tries in two games for the national team.
Another thing to talk about is England’s defence. They made some key defensive plays, like:
- Zoe Harrison intercepted a Rugby Canada pass deep into England’s half and kicked the ball deep into the Canadian half in the 50th minute.
- May Campbell made a good defensive play in the 74th minute. This kept possession of play with England for the remainder of the game against Canada.
In particular, Harrison’s play in the 50th minute was a gamechanger. It prevented Canada from scoring a try and instead played a big role in England scoring a try via Bryony Field a few minutes later.
For those wanting to know why Canada did not go for the win, this is what Rugby Canada captain Sophie De Goede said about it, according to Elizabeth Botcherby for BBC Sport:
“The plan on the field – we were like ‘let’s go for the win’,” said De Goede. “Then the message came on from the sideline to kick it out. “I do trust Kévin; he has the cooler head in that moment. If we gave away a penalty off the next breakdown, we’d be sitting here going ‘why didn’t you kick it out?'”
READ MORE: Kévin Rouet: The Women’s 15’s Rugby Canada Head Coach
Rouet’s decision is something this writer agrees with. Canada wasn’t generating much offence for about the last 20 minutes of the game, so it’s sometimes better to play it safe.
READ MORE: Red Roses Win Home Rugby World Cup at Allianz Stadium
Games Coming Up
England Rugby (the Red Roses) will host New Zealand (the Black Ferns) in the WXV Global Series on September 26, 2026, at 3:00 pm BST (10:00 AM ET and 7:00 AM PT) at the Allianz Stadium (Twickenham) in London, England, according to the England Rugby website.
The Rugby Canada women’s national team will play against France Rugby (Les Bleues) at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre in La Rochelle, France on September 26 at 11:45 am EDT (4:45 pm BST), which is 8:45 am EDT. That game will be televised nationally on TSN.
READ MORE: Fiji Rugby Union Wins 45-29 in Japan Against Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada also has two games coming up in October against England. The first game will take place on October 16 at BMO Field at 7:00 pm EDT (4:00 pm PDT or 12:00 am BST). The Canadians then travel to the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario, to play at TD Place Stadium at 7:00 pm ET (4:00 pm PDT or 12:00 am EDT).
Photo Credit: Rugby Canada Website on September 19, 2026.
