One mistake.
That appears to be all that separates Canada’s Women’s Sevens team from the very best sides in the world.
After a travel nightmare of delayed flights en route to the second tournament of the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Canadians arrived in Brazil ready to roll, and put in an excellent showing in the pool stages.
Rugby Canada: Sao Paulo 7s Review
First, head coach John Tait’s squad subdued a dangerous Russian team by a final of 20-7, thus ending something of a statistical quirk which marked Russia as “undefeated” against Canada in tournament history by way of a 1 win, 1 drawn, 0 lost record.
Next up, an overmatched South Africa was quickly put to the sword—a first-half hat trick from star speedster Ghislaine Landry set the tone in a 26- 5 victory, and the Canadian bench proved its quality in stemming the visible tide of fatigue in the second half.
Third and finally, Canada came out on top in a hotly-contested match against England. Again, fatigue looked to be a major factor right from the outset, but Canada’s top-to-bottom depth shone through, allowing them to secure a 24-17 victory over their toughest Day 1 opposition.
For the tenth time in ten opportunities, Canada had given themselves a chance to win a leg of the Women’s Sevens Series by qualifying for the Cup quarterfinals, and they had done it in plenty of style. Landry’s try haul on the day stood at seven, Jen Kish was predictably imposing all across the park, and series debutante Charity Williams impressed to the point that she earned a start in the England match.
Day 2 opened with a rematch against Russia in the quarterfinal, and again Canada showed their class by scoring a try in the first minute and never looking back in a solid 22-10 victory.
They were looking every bit the contender heading into the semifinal; however, their performance would once more illustrate the razor-thin margin currently separating Canada from the “Big Two” of Australia and New Zealand.
Facing off against the Aussies with a place in the final on the line, Canada put in a massive effort to stake out a 7-5 lead with less 90 seconds to play.
Unfortunately, that was when the crucial mistake came.
A cross-up in the Canadian defensive line allowed a long-distance Australian try, putting the final scoreline at 12-7, and another shot at ultimate victory had slipped away for the women in red.
Professional as ever, Canada would rebound later in the day for a clinical 19-0 win over France to secure a 3rd place finish—their fifth in a row at WSS events.
All told, it was another impressive weekend for the Canadian women, but no doubt it is the semifinal which will rankle.
There were certainly points in that game where Canada did themselves no favours—an inability to score when the Australians were reduced to six players via a yellow card stands out in particular—but the game was still there for the taking, which goes to show that Tait’s squad can hang with elite company even when they play less than their best.
On fitness, skill, preparation, and commitment, Canada is right there. In fact, they are the only team other than Australia and New Zealand to even make a final in the young history of the WSS. But given the heartbreaking defeats Canada has endured, one has to wonder if a mental block is beginning to become a factor against the Big Two.
Canada will now set their sights on the series event in Atlanta next weekend, where fans and players alike will be hoping for the final breakthrough that has been so elusive.
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