Rugby World Cup hosts England ‘finally get job done’ with ‘brakes slammed’ on Canada ‘fast show’
England skipper Zoe Aldcroft lifts the trophy after a win over Canada in which Ellie KIldunne (inset) inspired
When they needed it most, England produced the performance the host nation had waited all tournament to see and won their first Women’s Rugby World Cup for 11 years.
The pain of six defeats in eight previous finals was washed away on a sea of happy tears. Captain Zoe Aldcroft hoisted the trophy aloft and the biggest crowd ever to watch a women’s rugby match lifted the roof off Twickenham.
“This team has been the best in the world for eight years but hasn’t got the job done,” England’s coach John Mitchell said. “It has now.”
England deserved the plaudits for holding their nerve. And while English sporting success is rarely appreciated beyond the boundaries of the country itself, this one should be.
“A catalyst not just for English women’s rugby but more broadly…”
Beating Canada 33-13 was more than just a victory for the hosts. It promises to be a triumph that will accelerate the growth of women’s rugby everywhere.
The words Alan Gilpin, boss of World Rugby, said to Planet Rugby at the start of the tournament are worth repeating at this point.
“For me,” he said, “if England are successful, it becomes that Lionesses moment that is a catalyst not just for English women’s rugby but more broadly.”
He referred to England’s women’s football team, which won the European Championships two months ago, amplifying interest everywhere in the female round ball game.
How fitting it was that Lionesses’ match winner and all-round lucky charm, Chloe Kelly, should be at Allianz Stadium to watch the Red Roses follow in her golden footsteps.
“Incredible, inspirational,” she posted on Instagram immediately after the game, doubtless aware of the effect this 80 minutes of rugby can have going forward.
“England saved their best for last,” said Katy Daly-McLean, captain of the last Roses side to conquer the world, back in 2014. “Smart, physical, ruthless. Everything we needed them to be.”
It was by no means certain that it would be the case. Canada came into the game as the form team of the tournament, their semi-final defeat of New Zealand unquestionably the jewel in the crown of this World Cup.
For all England’s inherent advantages – home field, a partisan capacity crowd, the momentum born of 32 successive wins – there had to be a doubt nagging away at them that, just as in 2022, their one defeat in the World Cup cycle was destined for the biggest game of all.
Or was that just lazy thinking from those of us outside the camp, away from Mitchell’s stirring team talks, unfamiliar with the cast-iron will of these England players.
For come game day, there was no doubt among the Roses that they were about to bloom. “We’ll trust what we have built the last three years,” was Mitchell’s calm message.
“Canada have got everything their own way, pretty much, in this tournament, but they haven’t played us yet. We’ll look to unstructure them and put pressure on them that they haven’t had so far.”
Fighting talk, but England did indeed walk the talk. Remember how the Maple Leaf, and scrum-half Justine Pelletier in particular, ripped apart the Black Ferns with five tries in 43 minutes eight days ago? The suffocating dominance that left the six-time champions gasping for air.
Well, here, there was none of that. Yes, Asia Hogan-Rochester put Canada ahead on five minutes with the first of her two tries from an England lineout malfunction. But that was pretty much that.
England slammed the brakes on their opponents’ fast show. They made dominant tackles, bossed scrum and lineout, whatever it took to disrupt the rhythm of the women in red.
“I just thought New Zealand and a lot of teams kicked too long and on them, so they just ran back and got into their pick-and-go, and they were in this flow the whole tournament,” said Mitchell.
“We went to contestables. We tried to make them play rugby, we tried to make them think, and we went after them in route one. Our defensive work around the ruck was just extraordinary.”
Canada’s frustration showed itself in the penalty count. Zero conceded in that first half against New Zealand, six here. By the time they changed ends England had three tries on the board, a 13-point lead and were well set.
The tone was established by Ellie Kildunne, who else? On the eve of battle, the poster girl for this tournament posted: “Trust the process, believe in us and buckle up cowboys, this is the moment.”
She didn’t doubt then and she did not again when she got her hands on the ball 43 metres out and unlocked the Canadian defensive line with dancing feet before tearing to the line, leaving one opponent after another grasping at thin air.
That settled England alright and by the half-hour mark they were comfortably in front; Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews, with the first of her brace, crossing for tries.
Canada huffed and they puffed, but it was not until Hannah Botterman was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle 12 minutes into the second half that they were gifted a foothold into the contest. And by then they were 26-8 down.
Hogan-Rochester crossed the whitewash for a second time but they needed to strike again fast to make England doubt themselves and when they instead knocked on with the line at their mercy, the cause was lost.
There was still time for Matthews to bag her second, adding to one for Abbie Ward, and for Sadia Kabeya to be named player of the match. Thereafter, it was tears and cheers for a host nation finally getting the job done.
