Rugby: Stunning Dow try takes favourites England into women’s World Cup final against ‘lucky’ Kiwis

AUCKLAND – England reached the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup with a 26-19 win over Canada in their semi-final at Auckland’s Eden Park on Saturday.

Abby Dow’s breakaway try 10 minutes into the second half was decisive, as she capped a move that started behind the England try line to break Canada’s resistance and send the tournament favourites to a record-extending 30th consecutive win.

England booked their place in a sixth successive final and will line up next week against New Zealand, whose coach Wayne Smith hailed the heart displayed by his side in their later victory over France but said next week’s match would be another step up.

France fly-half Caroline Drouin missed a last-gasp penalty, as the defending champions prevailed 25-24 in an Eden Park thriller.

Two tries for winger Dow – including a length-of-the-field score – proved crucial for England, along with the boot of centre Emily Scarratt, who slotted three penalty goals in her 11-point haul.

Otherwise, the tournament favourites were matched in all departments by a Canada side who trailed 15-12 at half-time and were just four points behind when replacement forward Tyson Beukeboom crossed with 12 minutes remaining.

England captain Sarah Hunter said her team showed character to repel another late Canada assault.

“It went right down to the wire and I’m so proud of the way the team dug in at the end. We’ve come here to get into that game next week,” she said.

“Canada were relentless, they came and they came and they came.

“I think it will go down as one of the great semi-finals. For the rugby fans out there, that was a great showcase of what the women’s game is all about.”

Coach Simon Middleton said Dow would not even have been on the pitch had it not been for the Red Roses medical staff.

The 25-year-old was told she would be out of action for nine months when she suffered a broken leg against Wales in April but returned well ahead of schedule to be included in Middleton’s squad for New Zealand.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Abby and I can’t speak highly enough of our medical department, who six months on from what was a nine-month injury returned her to play,” he said.

“Emily Ross, Lewis Jones and the team just said, give us six months and we’ll do it, we’ll get her there. And she’s so valuable we were never going to question that.

“They have spent nights with her putting her through rigorous (physiotherapy) and Abby committed fully to doing it.”

England, who won their second and last title in 2014 when they defeated the Canadians in France, will be appearing in the final for the eighth time in total.

New Zealand coach Smith came on board in April after they had been badly mauled twice by both France and England in their end-of-year tour of Europe last season and felt the progress the Black Ferns had made since had been evident on Saturday.

“We knew that both France and England had been miles ahead of us. We’ve made up a bit of ground, whether we can make up some more ground over six days, I’m sure we can,” the former All Blacks assistant coach told reporters.

“Look, I don’t really know what it will look like, just proud to be in there and I know one thing about our girls, they’ve got heart, and will give it a crack.

“I think this is going to be another step up again, a challenge, not too sure yet I’m still thinking about this one.”

The French players were reluctant to blame Drouin for the missed penalty which would have sent them through to a first World Cup final.

“We were 50-50 today. They won, congratulations to them because they played a very good game,” said No. 8 Romane Menager, who scored two of France’s tries.

“We could have given ourselves more of a chance by being a bit cleaner, by being less penalised today. We were maybe a bit too ill-disciplined for a semi-final and we got punished for that.”

Menager said the French would pick themselves up and give their all against Canada in the third-place play-off next weekend, when they will look to win the bronze medal for the seventh time in nine World Cups.

It was heartbreak for the fourth-ranked French, who have lost all eight semi-finals they have reached.

It hands the Black Ferns a chance to clinch a sixth title in the ninth edition of the tournament.

New Zealand co-captain Ruahei Demant said her players felt like they were riding a wave of national support and hoped Eden Park would be sold out next week.

“I don’t think people realise what a difference it makes out there on the field,” she said.

“People are coming to support women, and women’s rugby, like never before.” REUTERS, AFP