Canada Provide Biggest Hurdles in Loss to US

Canada’s NSWT fell to the Americans by a score of 11 – 10 on Saturday in the second of two tests in Lakeland, Florida. By Meghan Mutrie

Ashley Patzer (15) and Julia Sugawara (9) tackle US winger Vanesha McGill Image credit: Meghan Mutrie

With their penalty count as a shovel, Canada dug a fairly convincing hole for themselves and unfortunately waited until the last minute of the match to try and get out of it.

Canada came alive and were brilliant in their final touches; Mandy Marchak’s try in injury time finished off a string of several phases stretching 30m, leaving the match resting on the ensuing conversion.

The game could be reduced to Canada’s missed kick, but two pitches’ worth of penalties, two yellow cards, and a few key injuries were too much for the NSWT to overcome.

It was sadly a familiar tune for Canada when prop Marlene Donaldson was sent off in the first for coming in from the side, leaving them reshuffling and a player short.

Adding insult to injury, literally, NSWT captain Leslie Cripps went down with an upper body injury, handing the leadership role to vice-captain Ashley Patzer.

Kristy Sargent earned her first cap in the mess but stepped into international rugby seamlessly. Lock Araba Chintoh also had a good match for Canada, and was a wizard in the air, stealing several of the Americans’ lineouts.

After a scoreless first half, the match looked to be headed in the same direction as Tuesday, where Canada shone in the last 40 to defeat the US, 18 – 8, but the Americans struck first on Saturday when fly-half Stephanie Bruce slotted a penalty.

Canada and the US both made wholesale changes to their starting XV from Tuesday, with 11 and 13 new faces, respectively.

Fullback Patzer, one of four players who started both tests, lead by example and earned Canada’s first points as she turned the corner after an offload from Marchak, scoring in the corner.

Canada have scored two similar tries in their last two matches that originate off a lineout and sweep across the pitch to be scored in the opposite corner.

The London Saracens will be short a front row and an inside centre for a few weeks as Sarah Ulmer also went down with an injury along with Cripps.

Canada needed their entire 22 in the 80, but every player did well to adjust to the positional chaos.

The NSWT led only for a short time before Bruce kicked her second penalty to put the States ahead, 6 – 5.

The visitors escaped unharmed with their first yellow card, but a second card proved too much and US wing Vanesha Mcgee finished her 30m run under Canada’s posts after Jen Kish was sent to the sin-bin for retaliation.

It was Canada’s fourth yellow card in their last three tests.

The US would carry a six-point lead until Canada’s attack started to build on an initial quick-tap penalty by scrumhalf Julia Sugawara.

The Americans were visibly concerned as the visitors got behind Sugawara and put together sharp phase-play, resulting in Marchak’s try.

The final whistle blew after the conversion drifted wide.

After the match, Patzer acknowledged Canada’s own role in the outcome.

“We made a couple of crucial mistakes; we had two yellow cards so were a player short for 20 minutes and that’s really difficult to come back from, but we still played really hard. We bent, but only broke once when they scored a try.”

Patzer did say that there were still positives to take from this match, especially as all 22 players really stepped up when things fell apart.

“When the sin bins came back in, we just started rolling with it. It doesn’t just come from one player; it’s not just from the captain, it’s from the whole team. It’s from the whole 22 who dress, and we did well considering.

“That last minute of play was a huge positive. We punched it out. We should have been playing like that the whole game, but we know we can play like that and we’re fit enough to play like that, but we just need to find that deep desire to work that hard for the entire game.”

The fullback was at a bit of a loss as to why her side inadvertently made the test more challenging than it should have been.

“All the mistakes we were making got us down, heads were going down at different times. We just need to come together before the last moment of the game. I guess we just need to work harder.”

Canada have two wins and two losses in their last four tests; one of each against the third and fifth-ranked nations.

With three months between now and Canada’s next scheduled event, Patzer says the team need to use today’s loss as a tool to improve.

“Today’s loss it happened. We need to learn from it, get past it, move on and focus on the next step.”

Saturday was the 25th match between Canada and the USA, tying it with the series between England and France for the second-longest standing rivalry in international women’s rugby.

England and Wales have the most history between them at 26 matches.

SCORING

Canada 10

Tries: Ashley Patzer, Mandy Marchak

YC: Marlene Donaldson, Jen Kish

USA 11

Tries: Vanesha Mcgee

Pens: Stephanie Bruce (2)

HT: 0 – 0