Canada warmed up for their Wives Rugby World Cup Final rematch in 2025 with England in Exeter next weekend with a comfortable win over Scotland at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.
The visitors opened theirs WXV Global Series campaign with a 64-26 triumph, scoring 10 tries in the process, with scrum-half Olivia Apps the driving force and named player of the match.
Scotland did well in parts of their first game under interim head coach Dave Butcher at the start of their new era.
Canada took the lead after five minutes when a quick kick from Apps set up Lizzie Gibson from the back row for a try, which fullback Claire Gallagher converted.
Apps, who were in control of the game at this stage, then five minutes later burst wide from the corner for try number two and it was 12-0.
Scotland got into things from close range with a backline try by Evie Gallagher, which was converted by Helen Nelson, but it was 19-7 by the end of the first quarter.
After winger Charity Williams was denied a try on her debut, Canada’s fourth and fifth tries came via loosehead prop Brittany Kassil and backline Julie Omokhuale to take a 31-7 lead after half an hour.
Scotland then turned defense into attack and scored their second try through wing Shona Campbell, before Apps canceled out the try and it was 31-12 at half-time.
Canada started the second half at the same pace as the first, with their sixth and seventh tries coming from stops by Taylor Perry and Apps.
Canada’s number eight Gabrielle Senft was then booked in the 53rd minute, and three minutes later, Kassil was also penalized for head-to-head contact.
Against 13 players, Scottish whore Lana Skeldon scored a try and it was 45-19 in the final quarter.
Substitute Justine Pelletier scored for 13-man Canada to make it 52-19, before Kassil’s yellow was upgraded to a 20-minute red card.
Wing Rhona Lloyd booted Scotland’s fourth try with seven minutes remaining, before Senft and debutant Savannah Bauder scored to make it 64-26.
Here are the main talking points in the game…
Happy applications
In the first game of the new season, you want the players to take games early and put their stamp on things.
Canadian scrum half Olivia Apps did just that and her quick thinking and general speed of play helped her side to an early 12-0 lead.
She set up Lizzie Gibson from the back line for the first try and then scored herself for the second.
And, with Scotland on the scoreboard, Apps was back in the thick of things as Canada scored a third try to make it 19-7.
She cleared the effort and scored her second goal after the break.
Powerful forwards put Canada on the front foot
In addition to the genius of Apps, Canada’s big ball carriers were ready for this from the start, and if the number nine sniped and ran through the gaps, the forwards ran right at people and made yards.
Hooker Kiki Idowu, second row Laetitia Royer, back Lizzie Gibson and No. 8 Gabrielle Senft were the main protagonists creating yards, with Idowu particularly impressive.
Their runs put Scotland on the back foot and chasing shadows at times in the first 40 minutes and allowed the Canadians to build a healthy lead by halftime.
Scotland came under fire late in the first half
Scotland were somewhat passive in the first 30 minutes as Canada took the lead, but in the 33rd minute they showed a little more aggression that interim coach Dave Butcher will want from his side going forward.
They pressured the Canadian scrum inside their own 22 and then turned the ball over to scrum-half Rhea Clarke.
She then fed the back to Evie Gallagher, who put in winger Shona Campbell for the score. There was just a little more fire in those actions than we saw earlier in the half.
Scots need to keep Evie Gallagher fit
Gallagher, the Bristol Bear, missed the entire women’s tournament Six Nations in April and May and left a huge hole on both sides of the ball for Scotland.
She is a physical player who also has good footwork and leads by example, alongside skipper Rachel Malcolm in the back row.
She played well here and will be a big player if Scotland have a chance to compete New Zealand next week.
And, as they aim for three games with Australia after that she could be even more important in those three outings.
Canada has built blocks ahead of England but knows it will have to be much better at Sandy Park
Canada scored 10 tries, dominated much of the game and were quite comfortable without ever hitting top gear.
They will have changes to their starting XV for England next and they know they will have to kick things up a notch – or two or three – for that one.
Still, this win gave them a good foundation to build on, and head coach Kevin Rouet will be pleased with plenty of elements from this outing.
Now onto the big one for them…
