Comment: Canada’s ‘remarkable story’ gets final chapter as crowdfunded team dumps out six-time World Cup-winning Black Ferns
Canada celebrate Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final win over New Zealand.
One of the most harrowing weeks in the history of New Zealand rugby ended with the six-time World Cup-winning Black Ferns crashing to semi-final defeat against a side forced to crowdfund just to take part.
Six days after the All Blacks were handed their biggest ever defeat by Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks, a team which had not lost a knockout game in the Women’s World Cup since 1991 were humbled 34-19 by Canada.
In a reversal of the Olympic sevens final the Maple Leafs romped to victory then warned England they are coming for them in next week’s Twickenham final, should the red-hot tournament favourites get past France in Saturday’s second semi-final.
One job left
“We haven’t gone and done it yet, we’ve one job left to do,” Sophie de Goede said after scoring one of Canada‘s five tries, kicking four goals and making 19 tackles to strengthen her claim to be considered the world’s best player.
“For those who have supported us, thank you so much. We’ve one job left to do for you guys. The dream we’ve all had is to win a World Cup and we’re going to do everything we can this week to prepare to make you all proud.”
The support of which she spoke came from donors up and down Canada who dug deep to find CAD$1 million to fund Mission: Win Rugby World Cup. It is a remarkable story. A team of amateurs not just getting by with a little help from their friends, and complete strangers, but smashing all-comers on the park.
Before this game Canada had scored at least 40 points in every game here. Before that, even, this group of wannabes had played the Black Ferns twice, ending a run of 17 straight defeats with a win and a draw.
But New Zealand outside of World Cups is one thing, in a tournament they have made their own something else altogether. To quote Katy Daley-McLean, who captained England to 2014 World Cup glory on Canada’s only other appearance in the final, “People don’t beat New Zealand and they certainly don’t beat them in a World Cup”.
Kévin Rouet’s side weren’t listening. They were 31-7 up three minutes into the second half. They did not concede a penalty for an hour; inspired ever onwards by their own ambition as much as the pre-match message of support from compatriot and country music superstar Shania Twain.
“We’ve defied the odds over and over again,” De Goede told the BBC. “That has a way of bringing you together and a way of propelling you forwards and fostering that knowledge in the group that we can overcome anything. You saw that today.”
The Black Ferns knew Canada would start fast, having seen them break Australia with five first-half tries in their quarter-final. They knew they possessed a ruck speed which would hurt them given the chance.
Knowledge is power, but only if you act on it. New Zealand got off on the wrong foot, with Renee Holmes slicing a kick out on the full, and never regained the initiative.
The catalyst for this extraordinary Canadian performance was Justine Pelletier, who was first hands on ball at every ruck, always adding pace to the already lightning-quick flow.
She scored the first try herself in the eighth minute with a lovely show-and-go after Alex Tessier and Alysha Corrigan worked her into space. And for an hour she had the Black Ferns dancing – usually backwards – to her tune.
Holmes compounded her early error by missing the tackle which allowed Asia Hogan-Rochester to put Canada 12 points ahead in as many minutes. Soon after the lead was 17, the Maple Leafs controlling play through 14 phases before Tessier put Flo Symonds over.
New Zealand needed a response and Stacey Waaka, easily their best player on the night, provided it; snaffling the restart for Georgia Ponsonby to link with Tanya Kalounivale for the score.
De Goede impresses
But it was nothing like enough. Pelletier scuttled through a half-gap to put De Goede in for Canada’s fourth try and a 24-7 half-time lead and soon after the scrum-half this time sent Tessier over.
Seeing their side down 31-7 with 37 minutes still to play must have had Kiwi fans dreading a humiliation to set alongside the 43-10 hiding administered to Scott Robertson’s All Blacks by South Africa.
That they avoided that due to Marino Mikaele-Tu’u and Braxton Sorensen-McGee claiming the game’s last two tries, was a small mercy. But it did nothing to alter the fact this was a result to tilt the rugby world off its axis.
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