Canada claim Pacific Four Series with first-ever win over Black Ferns
2024.05.19
Inspirational captain Sophie de Goede was lost for words after Canada beat New Zealand for the first time in 18 attempts to claim the Pacific Four Series trophy and climb to second in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings.
In a nail-biting match, Canada defeated New Zealand 22–19 to capture the World Rugby Pacific Four Series title for the first time under the current structure. Fancy Bermudez scored twice in the victory.
However, with 10 minutes remaining, scrum-half Olivia Apps was sin-binned for a risky challenge on Ruahei Demant, so they had to fend off intense late pressure from the hosts.
At Apollo Projects Stadium, Canada overcame New Zealand’s early lead to win their first-ever match against the Black Ferns. Bermudez’s two short-range darts, one in each half, came after superb tight maul work by the forwards. This was the 18th encounter between the teams.
With the victory, Canada will move up to the second spot in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings on Monday, while New Zealand will drop to third place, their lowest-ever ranking.
After a fiercely contested first half in difficult handling circumstances in Christchurch, winger Katelyn Vahaakolo had scored two early tries to give New Zealand a slim lead.
After a five-meter lineout and the ball passing through the hands, she scored her first touchdown in the corner in the tenth minute. Before the ball was dispersed widely, the forwards had completed the first effort.
Her second came in the 23rd minute, a skillfully timed premeditated open-play move. With great speed, Kennedy Simon offloaded to Layla Sae. After Chryss Viliko brought the ball into play, Maya Joseph dribbled one way and dropped an inside pass without looking, finding Vahaakolo, who sprinted in for her second.
Sophie de Goede had already started Canada’s scoring with an early penalty, but despite their best efforts, they had been unable to regularly breach New Zealand’s defensive wall in a tight, challenging, and demanding match.
Within the half-hour, everything changed. They had come near with a cross-field kick while having a penalty advantage, but they were unable to complete. The penalty was kicked by Alex Tessier to touch seven meters out. After a spectacular lineout maul, Sara Cline was stopped an inch short, but Bermudez was there to quickly intervene. De Goede scored a conversion to put the teams ahead 14–10 at the interval.
After another relentless, inevitable lineout maul, Canada’s loose-head McKinley Hunt recovered for a ball five minutes into the second half to put the visitors ahead for the first time. Just before the hour, Bermudez repeated her close-range dart to give the visitors an eight-point lead.
New Zealand was coming under increasing strain. A few seconds before, Bermudez had come within a hair’s breadth of scoring, and minutes later, Tessier scored after a break by Paige Farries, but the goal was disregarded for obstruction.
Even with the Black Ferns’ respite, Canada was leading up to Apps’ yellow. As the visitors ran out of defenders, Patricia Maliepo found herself in wide open areas to score in the corner, setting up a thrilling conclusion.
@charith
