Relentless Wales succumb to clinical Canada

Wales dominated territory for long stretches during the first quarter, but struggled to find a way through the Canadian defence inside their 22.
 
In contrast, as soon as Canada made it back into Wales’ 22 in the 25th minute, they made it count. Winning a scrum against the head, scrum-half Lori Josephson sniped through for a try. Wing Magali Harvey added the two points with her conversion. 7-0.
 
Wales had an excellent opportunity to use their driving maul to good effect in the final minutes of the first half, camped once again near the Canadian line. However, the North Americans won back possession and kicked to touch to see out what had been a hard-fought first half.
 
The athletic Canadians didn’t disappoint in the physicality stakes, putting in some enormous tackles as they flew quickly up in a defensive line. But Wales proved themselves more than up to the challenge, hauling down their big runners again and again.
 
In contrast to the game against the Black Ferns four days earlier, Wales were defensively magnificent for large periods of the game. Rowland Phillips’ team were made to defend on their own try line on several occasions, but played out of their skin to stop the marauding Canadians from crossing the line.
 
Thanks to a Harvey penalty late in the second half, the scoreboard read 10-0 with the clock winding down. This might have represented a fair reflection of the game as a whole, but a lapse out wide in the final minute saw Harvey dash through for an unconverted try. 
 
Two highly competitive games against the second and third seeds in Pool A will have given Wales Women tremendous heart going forward – not just against Hong Kong at the UCD Bowl this coming Wednesday, but in the coming months too.