Canada head coach Kevin Rouet believes his gamers are able to ship on the most important stage as they try to show the tables on England in Saturday’s Ladies’s Rugby World Cup ultimate.
The Maple Leafs misplaced 26-19 to the Pink Roses within the semifinal of the final World Cup and had been arguably the higher staff final October throughout a 21-12 defeat within the WXV1 event in Vancouver.
Frenchman Rouet accepts his staff are underdogs forward of the sold-out Twickenham showdown as hosts England bid to increase their exceptional 32-Take a look at successful run and stay high of the world rankings.
But Canada, who sit second within the world standings, are unbeaten in 2025 and made a press release of intent to succeed in the ultimate by outclassing defending champions New Zealand in a powerful 34-19 victory.
“I feel we had been very shut within the final World Cup,” Rouet stated, who was appointed simply over six months earlier than that event.
“We misplaced within the semifinals in opposition to England and I might say the entire metrics had been in our favour however not the rating, so it is type of exhausting generally.
“However we weren’t prepared on these excessive stress video games to ship and I feel that is an enormous distinction.
“We modified the best way we play, for certain, and I feel I noticed a 12 months and a half in the past that we had been entering into the precise path and we do a variety of great things.
“Just lately, we solely lose in opposition to them [England]. We had an excellent sport in Canada [in 2024] however we did not ship on particulars.
“Why I consider this staff is completely different is we had extra time collectively; final time we performed them, it is a quick preparation. That is the important thing of success for us, simply extra time collectively.”
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Canada are semi-professional and needed to crowdfund almost a 3rd of the funds for his or her World Cup marketing campaign.
They’ve to date regarded a category above their opponents, topping Pool B forward of Scotland, Fiji and Wales earlier than dispatching Australia and the Black Ferns within the knockout phases.
England, who beat Canada to raise the World Cup in 2014 however have misplaced 5 of the final six finals to New Zealand, are but to hit high type, regardless of progressing in comparatively easy trend.
“Each staff has strengths and weaknesses and we discuss it,” Rouet stated.
“We give attention to ourselves but additionally present a few weaknesses that England have and hopefully through the sport we’re going to have the ability to put the stress on that and pressure them to probably go to their plan B or no matter they should do to win this sport.
“We wish to be certain they’re uncomfortable arriving to the sport, for certain, and that is how we wish to win.”
A partisan capability crowd of roughly 82,000 awaits Canada in south-west London. The present report attendance for a girls’s 15s fixture is 58,498.
“We had been coming right here to win the World Cup so we even have the stress as a result of we wish to win this sport,” Rouet stated.
“However we like to have the stress. Many of the stadium will probably be in opposition to us and it makes us smile already. We wish the vitality of the stadium.”
Emulating England’s determination earlier within the day to call an unchanged beginning XV and bench, Rouet has saved religion with the identical 23 that dispatched the Black Ferns.
It implies that Canada could have accomplished every spherical of the knockout part of the World Cup with the identical 23 led by inside centre Alex Tessier. World participant of the 12 months nominee Sophie de Goede is current within the second row.
“We determined to be constant after a efficiency we had been actually proud of in opposition to New Zealand,” Rouet stated.
Canada XV to face England:
McKinley Hunt, Emily Tuttosi, DaLeaka Menin, Sophie de Goede, Courtney O’Donnell, Caroline Crossley, Karen Paquin, Fabiola Forteza, Justine Pelletier, Taylor Perry, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Alexandra Tessier, Florence Symonds, Alysha Corrigan, Julia Schell.
Replacements: Gillian Boag, Brittany Kassil, Olivia DeMerchant, Tyson Beukeboom, Laetitia Royer, Gabrielle Senft, Olivia Apps, Shoshanah Seumanutafa.
