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Canada survived a second-half scare to defeat Wales 38-21 at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday. Three unanswered tries in the final quarter sealed Canada’s first test win since the 2017 World Cup.
It was a game largely contested in the forwards. Sara Svoboda gave Canada an early lead after a lineout drive, but Wales responded with their own close-range effort from captain Carys Phillips. The second Canada try saw Gabrielle Senft driving over after the maul had been stopped just short.
Courtney Holtkamp made it 17-7 to the visitors early in the second half with another pick-and-drive score converted by Magali Harvey. It would be more than 20 minutes before Canada would score again.
Wales got some momentum through their pack. A big scrum earned them a penalty and after several phases Sioned Harries powered over. Ten minutes later a cross kick from Robyn Wilkins eluded Elissa Alarie and Lisa Neumann was there to touch the ball down, giving Wales their first lead of the match.
As teh clock ticked over the 65 minute mark the Canadians seemed to find another gear. Holtkamp got a second, nearly identical to her first, after Alarie stepped and put Brianna Miller clear, the replacement scrumhalf hauled down just short of the line.
Try number five came via Cindy Nelles, who drove straight through two Welsh defenders on a stunning pick-and-drive from five metres out. It was Nelles who sparked the line try, offloading to Alex Tessier with Harvey providing the final pass to Alarie to score in the corner.
Up next for Canada is the last stop of their four-match tour, a Tuesday evening test against Scotland at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
SCORING
WALES 21
Tries – C. Phillips (20’), S. Harries (46’), L. Neumann (57’)
Cons – R. Wilkins 3/3 (21’, 47’, 58’)
CANADA 38
Tries – S. Svoboda (2’), G. Senft (27’), C. Holtkamp 2 (43’, 66’), C. Nelles (70’), E. Alarie (72’)
Cons – M. Garvey 1/3 (44’), B. Miller 3/3 (67’, 71’, 73’)
TEAMS
WALES
1 Caryl Thomas, 2 Carys Phillips (capt.), 3 Amy Evans, 4 Siwan Lillicrap, 5 Mel Clay, 6 Manon Johnes, 7 Bethan Lewis, 8 Sioned Harries, 9 Keira Bevan, 10 Robyn Wilkins, 11 Lisa Neumann, 12 Alicia McComish, 13 Alecs Donovan, 14 Jazz Joyce, 15 Lauren Smyth
Replacements: 16 Kelsey Jones, 17 Cara Hope, 18 Cerys Hale, 19 Natalia John, 20 Gwen Crabb, 21 Ffion Lewis, 22 Hannah Jones, 23 Jess Kavanagh
CANADA
1 Veronica Harrigan, 2 Laura Russell (capt.), 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Cindy Nelles, 5 Courtney Holtkamp, 6 Sara Svoboda, 7 Janna Slevinsky, 8 Gabrielle Senft, 9 Lori Josephson, 10 Taylor Black, 11 Sabrina Poulin, 12 Alex Tessier, 13 Marie Thibault, 14 Magali Harvey, 15 Elissa Alarie
Replacements: 16 Gillian Boag, 17 Brittany Kassil, 18 Olivia DeMerchant, 19 Ngalula Fuamba, 20 Tyson Beukeboom, 21 Brianna Miller, 22 Tausani Levale, 23 Anaïs Holly
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Rebecca Mahoney (NZRU)
Assistants: Simon Mills (WRU) & Kath Pritchard (WRU)
TMO: Leo Colgan (IRFU)
