women
international women
Canada head coach Kévin Rouet cut a frustrated figure at full-time as his side lost 21-5 to France La Rochelle.
The 39-year-old watched his side struggle to make an impact on François Ratier’s side on France’s west coast as the hosts controlled the game from start to finish. Simply put, Canada was outclassed.
Émilie Boulard’s brace, Alexandre Chambon’s try and Carla Arbez and Lina Queyroi’s conversions canceled out Lizzie Gibson’s try in the 35th minute.
While Gibson saw her shares rise with four tries in three WXV Global Series games this fall, the overall performance was a stark contrast to the 26-all draw England a week earlier and their win in 10 attempts Scotland two weeks ago.
“We were focused on chasing number one, and I don’t think we performed as well as we could have today,” Rouet said.
“It doesn’t define us, but consistency is the key to being number one. We weren’t able to be precise or consistent in our performance today.
“We take full responsibility for that and I will give credit to France for their performance today.”
Canada will now begin preparations for back-to-back Test matches against the Red Roses in October on home soil. Games in Toronto and Ottawa will give the North Americans another opportunity to avenge their wives Rugby World Cup Defeat England in the 2025 final.
Clearly, a win over John Mitchell’s side – who beat the Black Ferns with the last play of the game at Allianz Stadium – is at the top of Canada’s agenda. And this latest outing was far from ideal preparation.
“I’m also proud of the girls for their work over the past four weeks,” he said.
“It was a tough battle with a lot of travel. We’re still fired up, and we know our dream isn’t over, because we want that win against England, and that will be a key focus.”