Wallaroos fall short against clinical Canada in Brisbane

Fri, May 23, 2025, 8:45 AM
LW
by Lachie Grey and Nathan Williamson

Canada has proved a class above, defeating the Wallaroos 45-7 in Brisbane.

The visitors were in control from the first whistle as the second-ranked team imposed themselves on the contest through their forward pack.

Watch Friday's Wallaroos-Canada and Reds-Hurricanes double header live and on-demand via Stan Sport.

They had a 26-0 lead heading into the break, and whilst Desiree Miller crossed for Australia, it was all Canada.

The Wallaroos got off to a nightmare start after letting the kick-off bounce for Canada to re-gather.

The visitors' early pressure at set-piece delivered the opener inside three minutes after prop McKinley Hunt rolled over the line.

Fellow prop DaLeaka Menin set up the second in the tenth with a nice break, offloading for flanker Karen Paquin.

Fullback Julia Schell made it 21-0 after 18 minutes before the Wallaroos looked to work their way back into the contest.

They pressed the Canadian line and put them under significant pressure, forcing some gutsy goal-line defence.

Ultimately, Canada’s pack held them out and barged their way down the field on half-time for Laetitia Royer to cross for a 26-0 advantage. 

The injection of Adiana Talakai off the bench nearly delivered instant impact but the TMO brought back the hooker’s try for a knock-on in the build-up.

They couldn’t deny Desiree Miller as the winger fought through the contact for Australia’s first points of the evening.

But Canada were quick to hit back after winger Krissy Scurfield and skipper Alex Tessier ran in back-to-back tries.

The visitors sealed the win in the final ten minutes as Fabiola Forteza crossed with nine minutes to go.

”We’ll take the positives out of it,” Wallaroos skipper Pesi Paul told Stan Sport.

”Canada were really physical, set piece again was challenging … their backline were really dangerous.

”We’ll take a lot of growth from that and now we just work towards that NZ game.”

Jo Yapp’s side will turn their focus to July’s O’Reilly Cup clash against the Black Ferns in Wellington.

They will then face Wales in a pair of Test before embarking on their World Cup journey in England.

Canada 45 (Hunt, Paquin, Schell, Royer, Scurfield, Tessier, Forteza tries; Schell 5 cons) def Wallaroos 7 (Miller tries; Moleka cons)

Friday May 23 4:55 pm AEST – Wallaroos v Canada at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, ad-free, live and on demand on Stan Sport

WALLAROOS (1-15): Martha Fua, Katalina Amosa, Bridie O'Gorman, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Siokapesi Palu (c), Ashley Marsters, Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Layne Morgan, Faitala Moleka, Desiree Miller, Charlotte Caslick, Georgina Friedrichs, Biola Dawa, Caitlyn Halse

Replacements: Bree-Anna Browne, Adiana Talakai, Eva Karpani, Ashley Fernandez, Emily Chancellor, Ruby Anderson, Tia Hinds, Trilleen Pomare

CANADA (1-15): McKinley Hunt, Gillian Boag, DaLeaka Menin, Courtney O'Donnell, Tyson Beukeboom, Laetitia Royer, Karen Paquin, Fabiola Forteza, Olivia Apps, Claire Gallagher, Krissy Scurfield, Alex Tessier, Florence Symonds, Alyshia Courigan, Julia Schell

Replacements: Emily Tuttosi, Mikiela Nelson, Rori Wood, Julia Omokhuale, Caroline Crossley, Justine Pelletier, Shoshanah Seumanutafa, Fancy Bermudez

Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr (NZL)

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