WALES 0 CANADA 14
IAN GOLDEN, The Gnoll, Neath, Sunday
CANADA pulled out all the stops to beat Wales, with their defence excelling throughout the game.
Wales had more possession and more attacking play, but the Ravens had an answer to everything that was thrown at them, with fullback Petra Woods and substitute Tamisha Toussaint especially excelling.
Canada, coached by former Wales men’s World Cup player Matty Barron, applied pressure early in the game and Brittany Jones thought she may have scored, but the referee ruled it out for a knock-on.
But giving penalties didn’t help Canada’s cause to try and break the deadlock. After the second of them, two of Wales’s debutants linked up and were close to scoring when Zoe Heeley ran well and fed Frances Layton, but she was pulled into touch.
After Wales’s pressure didn’t result in a try, Canada took the lead with a good set over the length of the field, which Dani Franada finished off by slipping through the line to score for Natasha Naismith to convert.
Canada’s defence continued to hold, with Leanne Burnell stopped short of the line on the final tackle of two consecutive sets, as she failed to spot Dani McGifford in space, as Wales looked to break their duck before the break.
Wales also defended well, with Bethan Dainton and Jasmine Gibbons both putting in a shift.
Tataina Joseph was then stopped with ten metres to go, as Canada’s 80-metre set eventually came to nothing.
But Canada quickly regained the ball and scored when Megan Pakulis bundled her way over the line. Naismith couldn’t convert but Canada went into the break with a healthy 10-0 lead.
Pakulis took just 70 seconds to score her second try after the break, which again went unconverted.
Wales continued to struggle to find the answers to the strong Canadian defence.
Heeley again tried one of her mazy runs through the centre, which often results in a try for Cardiff Demons in the Women’s Championship, but at international level, she couldn’t get past the last line of defence.
From the next set, Layton, second only to Heeley in try-scoring for Cardiff, also looked for a way through, but was smashed into touch.
A Ffion Lewis punt won a goal-line drop-out, but once again, the Canadians defended well.
Canada nearly scored in the final minute, which would have really cemented the win. Pakulis this time was the potential creator, but the ball flew past Jones and into touch.
GAMESTAR: Tamisha Toussaint was outstanding in defence throughout the game.
GAMEBREAKER: With ten minutes to go, when Zoe Heeley was stopped yet again, Wales knew it wasn’t going to be their day.
MATCHFACTS
WALES
1 Leanne Burnell (Cardiff Demons)
2 Frances Layton (Cardiff Demons)
3 Zoe Heeley (Cardiff Demons)
4 Olivia Williams (Cardiff Demons)
5 Dani McGifford (St Helens)
6 Amberley Ruck (Cardiff Demons)
7 Jade Mullen (London Broncos)
8 Agnes Wood (York Valkyrie)
9 Carys Marsh (Wigan Warriors)
10 Katie Carr (Cardiff Demons)
11 Georgia Cussons (Huddersfield Giants)
12 Sioned Young (Cardiff Demons)
13 Bethan Dainton (Wigan Warriors)
Subs (all used)
14 Jasmine Gibbons (Cardiff Demons)
15 Gracie Hobbs (Huddersfield Giants)
16 Emily Hughes (London Broncos)
17 Ffion Lewis (London Broncos)
CANADA
1 Petra Woods (York Valkyrie)
2 Brittany Jones (Alberta Broncos)
3 Maddy Aberg (Alberta Broncos)
4 Tatiana Joseph (Ontario Ospreys)
5 Erika Scott (Ontario Ospreys)
6 Dani Franada (Alberta Broncos)
7 Tash Naismith (Ontario Ospreys)
8 Sarah Maguire (Alberta Broncos)
9 Alanna Fittes (Alberta Broncos)
10 Hannah Tonet (Ontario Ospreys)
11 Gabby Hindley (BC Storm)
12 Dani Cox (Alberta Broncos)
13 Megan Pakulis (York Valkyrie)
Subs (all used)
14 Savannah Bacchus (Alberta Broncos)
15 Rebecca Kochuk (Alberta Broncos)
16 Tamisha Toussaint (Ontario Ospreys)
17 Payton McNeill (BC Storm)
Tries: Franada (20), Pakulis (33, 37)
Goals: Naismith 1/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-14
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Wales: Jasmine Gibbons, Canada: Tamisha Toussaint
Penalty count: 6-2
Half-time: 0-10
Referee: James Jones
Attendance: 250
Image: Geraint Nicholas