Women’s Rugby World Cup final: Predictions, key players and finals route as crowd to make the difference

Jack Tunney
Women’s Rugby World Cup final: Predictions, key players and finals route as 16th player to make the difference

Women’s Rugby World Cup final: Predictions, key players and finals route as 16th player to make the difference

The World Cup final is finally here. After a month of dramatic finishes, mind-blowing tries and pure excitement, the final two sides have been confirmed.

Canada and England will take their place on the famous Twickenham turf in front of thousands of eager fans on Saturday, as they look to become the first team other than New Zealand to win the trophy since 2014.

Here is how the two sides reached the final:

Canada’s route

The second-ranked team in the world started their campaign strongly, beating Fiji by almost 60 points and then, despite conceding a remarkable 21 turnovers, dismissing Wales without dropping a point. Their first real challenge came at Sandy Park in their final pool match when they were pushed to the edge by a tough Scotland side. Canada had worked on reducing their turnover mistakes from the previous match against Wales, and as a result, powered through to get the eventual win.

Their quarter-final showing against Australia was close to a complete performance as they had had at the tournament so far. Dismissing the far-travelling Aussies by 41 points, the Canadian pack were utterly ruthless in their dominance of the opposition. When they did get the ball out wide, they found they had acres of space in which to play due to the majority of the Wallaroos players being wrapped up in the ferocious vortex of the forward pack.

While Canada’s physicality played a huge part in their quarter-final win, it was their expansive play out wide that shone in the semi-final, as they beat the six-time winners, New Zealand, in arguably their most complete performance of all time. Canada dominated in the opening 25 minutes, taking a 17-point lead as the Black Ferns failed to deal with the pace of their opponents. Despite return fire by the Kiwis, Canada continued their onslaught with two more tries, one before the break and one after. New Zealand fought back, but the damage was done; the underdogs had made their way to the final, winning by 34 points to 19.

Canada’s key player: Versatile star Sophie de Goede is the highest female points scorer of all time for her national side. Not only her team’s kicker, but also a regular visitor to the try-line, the 26-year-old has been in fine form during this World Cup. With 58 points to her name, including three tries, she is expected to end the tournament as the top scorer.

Canada’s standout moment: The entire first half against the Black Ferns could be described as a standout moment for the Canadian ladies, but one try in particular made a huge impact on the match. Early on in the match, Asia Hogan-Rochester was on the receiving end of the perfect training ground move, as she set the precedent for what was to be a domination by Canada. Although she received the ball in space on the left wing, the 26-year-old still had plenty to do. First, collecting the ball well above her head, she palmed off Renee Holmes before diving over in the corner to complete the score. It was this try that cemented the realisation between the two sides that Canada were going to be the aggressors.

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England’s route

After losing dramatically in the final in 2022, England have returned to the biggest stage with increased vigour and even higher expectations. The highly touted Americans were demolished by over 60 points in the opener, Samoa by almost 90 in the second game, and Australia by 40 in the final match of the pool stage. 

The quarter-finals stage provided no major challenge for the world number one side, as they comfortably brushed aside a spirited Scotland side at Ashton Gate. Any signs of weakness within the England ranks were cleverly disguised, as each member looked to be in sync with the other, knowing which lines to run and when. 

The semi-final was England’s first real test of the tournament. It was only in the final 10 minutes of their match at Ashton Gate against France, when standout player Ellie Kildunne scored the most audacious of individual tries, that the home side was able to put any real distance between them. Despite not looking quite as dominant, they did prove that they can squeeze out sides in those close contests.

England’s key player: One of the most consistent players of the past decade, Alex Matthews has become a stalwart of an England squad that is odds on to take home the trophy. The 32-year-old has remarkably been pulling on the white of England since 2011, and has played in four World Cups in her time. The experience she brings, alongside her impressive work rate and professionalism, has made her an integral part of this World Cup campaign.

England’s standout moment: With just 13 minutes left on the clock against France in the semi-final, the match was far from over. Although England had a slight points buffer, one score from their opponents could have changed the whole dynamic of the contest. Up stepped England’s most famous star, Kildunne. Known for her jazzy hair, fun celebrations and impressive turn of pace, the former sevens player took the game into her own hands. A kick through from Zoe Harrison was unable to be controlled by the French backfield cover, instead bouncing back into Kildunne’s hands as she stepped four to touch down from 50 metres out.

Score prediction

It’s difficult to shake the feeling that an upset could be on the cards here. Canada have powerfully, but almost quietly, made their way into the final, where they sit just 80 minutes away from winning their first-ever World Cup silverware.

Despite their underdog status, we expect Canada to be the better side. They looked more assured than England in the semis, and their support from back home has quietly grown to a level where pressure and expectation aren’t yet a factor, but excitement and support rule the airwaves. England, on the other hand, have an entire rugby community almost expecting a result. This, combined with their previous World Cup final defeat in 2022, could spell a nervous disaster for the women in white.

This being said, the home advantage of England could well make the difference if the score remains tight, which we imagine it will. Once the opening minutes are played, all nerves and pressure should be replaced by adrenaline and excitement, as the two sides put into place the plans that have been worked on for three years now. Expect it to be tight, with Canada leading at various stages, but anticipate a strong final 10 minutes from England as the Twickenham crowd roars them home. Canada 23-31 England.

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Canada