By TOM JEFFREYS
England………………………45
Tries: Kildunne 8, Atkin-Davies 37, 40+1, 51, 57; Breach 69, MacDonald 71
Conversions: Aitchison 9, Rowland 38, 40+3, 52, 72
Canada……………………….12
Tries: Tuttosi 31, Farries 44
Conversions: De Goede 45
Two scintillating periods in a breathless second half earned the Red Roses a 45-12 victory over Canada.
Hooker Lark Atkin Davies scored four tries, all from England’s world-class driving maul, to secure England’s second WXV1 victory despite an error-strewn first half.
In an improved second half, Atkin-Davies scored a quick fire double to add to her two first half efforts and take the game out of Canada’s reach.
Shortly after, England’s fullback Ellie Kildunne provided an attacking clinic of her own, setting up a try each for Jess Breach and Claudia MacDonald.
Incoming head coach John Mitchell was involved in selection for the first time, and both Atkin-Davies and Kildunne were two of nine changes made to the team that beat Australia last week.
With five of those changes made to the pack England struggled for fluidity in the first half, but Atkin-Davies scored the first two of her four in the final minutes of the half to give England a platform to perform at their merciless best in the second half.
Louis Deacon was still the man in charge, and he believes that the stern test Canada provided in the first half, mixed with the variation of forward and backs tries scored in the second, will stand them in good stead for their first meeting with New Zealand since the gut-wrenching World Cup final loss next week:
“It was a very tough game, exactly what we needed. I’m pleased we were tested at times, especially around the set piece. They put a lot of pressure on.
“We don’t get to play New Zealand very often. We always want to play against the best teams in the world and that’s why this competition’s exciting”.
England got the ball rolling on the eighth minute with a nicely weighted grubber from fly half Holly Aitchison forcing an error from Canada full back Sarah-Maude Lachance; Lachance failed to gather cleanly, and Ellie Kildunne, chasing an apparent lost cause, gratefully capitalised. Continuing her 100% record last week, Aitchison slotted the conversion.
Rather than kick on and add to the scoreboard as they did so well in the summer, England became frustrated with numerous handling errors preventing them from breaking down a defiant Canada defence.
An uncharacteristically inaccurate lineout gifted Canada field position, and one such overthrow in the 30th minute allowed Canada to build 18 phases of attack in the English 22.
Eventually, Holly Aitchison was sin binned for a deliberate knock on, and Canada kicked to the corner. From five metres out, Emily Tuttosi gave England a taste of their own medicine with a maul try.
Despite the missed conversion, Canada had England rattled with a slender 7-5 lead, but with their backs now to the wall, England countered and began forcing errors.
A cynical penalty from no. 6 Gabrielle Senft gave England a chance to unleash their coveted driving maul, and hooker Lark Atkin Davies scored the try on the 38th minute mark.
In a frustrating passage of play for the Canadians, back-foot defence and ill-discipline allowed England to kick a penalty back to the corner, and with a sense of de ja vu, Atkin-Davies grabbed her second try from another imperious maul on the stroke of half time, giving England a flattering 21-5 lead.
England started the second half with more sloppy handling, but this time Canada were able to punish. Multiple handling errors allowed Canada to release winger Paige Farries onto the ball, who paced past opposite number Claudia MacDonald and scored from 60 out. With Sophie de Goede’s conversion good, the score was 21-12 after 45.
Revitalised by conceding again, England worked up to Canada’s 22 where it became absolutely imperative that the women in red maintained discipline.
On two occasions they failed to do so, with Atkin-Davies capitalising on a repeated sense of inevitability to score a quickfire brace and take her personal tally to four. The second was the consequence of a high tackle from recent substitute Julia Schell, who was duly sin binned and, in a flash, England were 33-12 up with a numerical advantage.
Soon after, Kildunne set the match alight with a stunning break on the 67th minute. The fullback accelerated through a gap, stepped inside the fullback before throwing a sumptuous switch to substitute Jess Breach who scored her 36th try in 32 tests.
Fizzing with excitement, England returned the following kick off with interest, spreading the ball wide to Kildunne again, who isolated a two-on-one to release MacDonald. The left winger paced round her first defender before stepping inside the second to score from 60 out under the posts.
Rowland slotted a simple conversion to complete a second ruthless period for England and leave the score at 45-12 for the final whistle.
ENGLAND: Kildunne, Dow, Rowland, Reed, MacDonald, Aitchison, Hunt; Carson, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Aldcroft, O’Donnell, Talling, Packer (capt), Matthews
Replacements: Powell, Botterman, Muir, Galligan, Allen, Wyrwas, Heard, Breach
CANADA: Lachance, Farries, Seumanfutafa, Tessier, Symonds, Gallagher, Apps; Hunt, Tuttosi, Menin, Beukeboom, Holtkamp, Senft, Svoboda, de Goede
Replacements: Boag, Kassill, Ellis, Smith, Cline, Pelletier, Schell, Grant
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