Canada and Scotland into Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals / Photo: Adrian Dennis - AFP
Canada and Scotland into Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals
Canada underlined their status as one of the leading contenders for the Women's Rugby World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals with a game to spare after thrashing Wales 42-0.
Saturday's success in Salford saw Canada, ranked second in the world behind England, follow up their opening 65-7 Pool B hammering of Fiji with another emphatic win.
By contrast, defeat left Wales on the brink of elimination after a surprisingly heavy 38-8 loss to Scotland in their first match of the tournament.
Elsewhere in Pool B, Scotland also booked their place in the last eight with a 29-15 win over Fiji -- the narrowest margin of victory in this tournament so far -- that condemned Wales to an early exit.
Wales made an encouraging start against Canada but the match was over as a contest just after the half-hour with the North Americans' 28-0 ahead thanks to McKinley Hunt's two tries and one each for Alysha Corrigan and Asia Hogan-Rochester.
Taylor Perry and Brittany Kassil crossed Wales' try-line after half-time, when Georgia Evans was yellow-carded and Sophie de Goede converted all six tries.
- 'Dominant' -
"I think we were very dominant in the set-piece, it was amazing to watch our girls dominate the scrums and the line-out was still strong for us," Canada captain Alex Tessier told the BBC.
"We knew what to expect (from Wales), we knew they were going to be physical, especially around those breakdowns which we didn't react quickly enough, but we kept our composure and managed to score back-to-back tries."
Wales, who were without injured co-captains Alex Callender and Kate Williams, did at least produce a better performance following a woeful display against Scotland,
"The big thing for me was that in the last 15, 20 minutes there was a glimpse of what I want to see, being brave, moving the ball and getting individuals with the ball in hand," said Wales coach Sean Lynn.
Scotland joined Canada in the quarter-finals with a hard-fought win over Fiji.
Francesca McGhie opened the scoring with a second-minute try after taking just 55 seconds to break the deadlock against Wales.
Rhona Lloyd added two more tries to put Scotland 17-5 ahead at the break but Manuqalo Komaitai's score after the restart gave Fiji hopes of a comeback.
McGhie's fifth try of the tournament and Emma Orr's superb solo effort, which secured a bonus point, guaranteed Scotland a top-two finish in the pool.
Fiji scored a late consolation try through Karalaini Naisewa but defeat ensured their group-stage exit.
"Unbelievable," said Scotland captain Rachel Malcolm. "I don't really have the words right now.
"We've been thinking about this for a really long time, after what we've been through on and off the pitch. I don't think we've been in a World Cup quarter-final for 24 years, so it's nice to create a bit of history."
Saturday's other games are in Pool A where tournament favourites England will seek to book their place in the last eight against Samoa, despite making 13 changes to the starting 15 that walloped the United States 69-7.
The Eagles, meanwhile, face an Australia team fresh from overwhelming Samoa 73-0.
N.M.Shaw--EWJ
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