Rugby World Cup 2021 continues in Auckland and Whangārei this weekend, and every match is crucial in the race for place in the quarter-finals.
The showpiece tournament kicked off in style last weekend as hosts New Zealand and Wales earned victories in Pool A, Canada and Italy won their respective matches in Pool B and France and England did likewise in Pool C.
In a quirk of the fixture schedule, those teams will play each other on Saturday and Sunday, while Australia, Scotland, Japan, the USA, Fiji and South Africa have an opportunity to kickstart their RWC 2021 campaigns.
On Saturday, England put their triumphant start to RWC 2021, and 26-match winning streak on the line when they take on France at the Northland Events Centre in Whangārei at 20:00 local time (GMT+13).
Les Bleues have not beaten the Red Roses since March 2018, losing each of the teams’ last 10 meetings.
AUSTRALIA, SCOTLAND TARGET FIRST WIN Saturday’s action at the Northland Events Centre gets underway at 15:00 local time (GMT+13) when Scotland take on Australia in Pool A.
Both teams suffered agonising defeats on the opening weekend and will be keen to get their push for a quarter-final berth back on track with victory in Whangārei.
Scotland coach Bryan Easson has made two personnel changes to his starting line-up as Rachel McLachlan and Emma Orr come in, and Hannah Smith shifts onto the left wing.
Australia have also kept a largely settled side for Saturday’s match as Eva Karpani comes in at tighthead prop and Maya Stewart takes the number 11 jersey from Ivania Wong.
The teams have met twice previously at the tournament, at RWC 1998 and RWC 2002, with the Wallaroos winning on both occasions. Australia head into the match three places higher than Scotland in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini.
“We want to try and start the same way as we did against the Black Ferns,” Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning said.
“There’s a few changes we’ve made in this team that strengthen our ball-carrying capabilities in the forwards and we’re definitely looking to replicate it.”
Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm said: “The Wallaroos are an athletic side. They are fit, fast, big and physical. It’s about how we stay in the game.”
ROUND TWO CONTINUES AT WAITAKERE STADIUM Sunday’s action at the sold-out Waitakere Stadium in Auckland will kick-off at 12:45 local time (GMT+13) with the mouthwatering match between Italy and Canada in Pool B.
It will be the first time the teams have met at Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991, when the Canadians won the plate semi-final 6-0.
Canada captain Sophie de Goede’s mum, Stephanie White, lined up at number eight in that match but a more reliable indicator of how this encounter will play out can be found in the sides’ meeting in Langford in July.
On that occasion, the hosts outscored the Azzurre by five tries to four as they secured a 34-24 victory at Starlight Stadium.
A repeat in Auckland could seal a place in the quarter-finals – depending on the outcome of the USA-Japan match – but Italy will want to pick up where they left off in the second half against the Women’s Eagles and have designs on the last eight themselves.
Next up at Waitakere Stadium, the Black Ferns will hope to take another step towards the quarter-finals as they meet Wales for the fourth consecutive tournament.
Current squad members Stacey Fluhler, Renee Wickliffe and Portia Woodman each scored tries, while Kendra Cocksedge added two conversions, as New Zealand beat Wales 44-12 during the RWC 2017 pool stage.
A similar result in front of a capacity crowd would almost certainly seal the hosts’ qualification for the quarter-finals.
