Canada overcome Japan in RWC opener

Canada played with pace and power to defeat Japan 41-5 in Rugby World Cup 2021 in Whangārei.

The Pool B match was an entertaining one with Japan sticking in for 80 minutes, but Canada just had too much quality.
 
Canada, who are third in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini, got things off to a positive start after just two minutes.
 
Winger Paige Farries was the scorer of the unconverted try after a clearance kick from Japan was charged down.
 
Japan, ranked 13th in the world, scored a five pointer of their own three minutes later through second-row Maki Takano to level things up.
 
The next try in the match came from Canada hooker Emily Tuttosi which scrum-half Brianna Miller converted to make it 12-5.
 
Miller herself then scored an unconverted try 16 minutes before half-time and Canada were looking confident.
 
They secured the bonus point fourth try on the half hour mark when Tuttosi bagged her second of the game and then five minutes before the break try number five came their way.
 
Miller was the player to score that one, her second try of the clash meaning that after 40 minutes it was 27-5 to Canada.
 
It was 10 minutes into the second half when Canada got try number six, Tuttosi going over for her hat-trick effort with Sophie De Goede, the number eight and captain, adding the conversion to make it 34-5.

With 14 minutes of the contest remaining the seventh try came along for Canada.

Replacement Mikiela Nelson was the scorer this time and with De Goede making the conversion it was 41-5.

The Japanese side never gave up in the closing stages and they will certainly have learnt a lot from the experience continue to bring a lot to this competition in the coming weeks.

It ended 41-5 to Canada and afterwards skipper De Goede said:  “It was a good game for us, we started strongly and we know that we can build from here.

“We have worked a lot on our rolling maul and we hope it will be a weapon for us during the rest of the competition.

“Credit to Japan, they made it difficult for us and they are an improving side for sure.”