TORONTO — Shoshanah Seumanutafa was not supposed to be on the field that early. An injury to Canada’s Alex Tessier in the 16th minute pulled her off the bench, according to World Rugby’s match report, and with two minutes left she dived into the corner to give Canada a 24-21 win over England on Friday night.
The try ended England’s unbeaten run, which Sky Sports puts at 41 matches and dates back to the 2022 World Cup final, the last time the Red Roses lost. It came in front of what World Rugby called a record crowd at BMO Field, and it was Canada’s first win over the world champions in 10 years.
For most of the night it looked like another England evening. The Red Roses were scoreless for the first half hour, then took full advantage of a sin-binning to Canada second row Laetitia Royer, with Maddie Feaunati and Zoe Harrison crossing before the break. England led 14-5 at half-time, Sky Sports reported. Canada had already drawn with them in Exeter in September, and this was the opener of a two-game Rugby Rematch Tour between the sides.
Canada did not fade. Savannah Bauder had scored the opener, and after the restart Alysha Corrigan’s try cut the gap to two before Sarah Bern pushed England back to nine ahead, World Rugby’s report said. DaLeaka Menin, named player of the match for the second time in two meetings between the sides, scored just after the hour. Seumanutafa finished it.
Speaking after the match, England coach John Mitchell said “We’re not driven by outcome” and that the defeat “frees us up”, Sky Sports reported. Canada’s Justine Pelletier said the night was bigger than the score because “we won on so many levels today”. England captain Megan Jones said the squad take “huge pride” in the run, and that at the top “people want to bring you down as quick as they can”.
The accounts do not line up neatly. World Rugby’s report calls the streak 41 matches in its opening paragraph and 42 in the next, and it puts Bauder’s try in the 16th minute where Sky Sports has the 15th. Sky places the winner in the 77th minute, World Rugby two minutes from time. Neither report gives a full set of match statistics.
Neither account says what Mitchell plans to change in the return game, or what he meant when he suggested his players review their motivations.
