WXV 1 Weekend 1 has been played and it produced some thrilling matches. The opening weekend of the top tier of World Rugby’s new tournament delivered on its promise, and showed how it will benefit the game moving forward. Having regular games in the international calendar will only improve every team involved and close the gap between the top teams and the rest. Here’s a breakdown of weekend one.
England 42-7 Australia
The opening game of WXV 1 went largely as expected. England are the number one team in the world, and have the resources to match. The Australian players on the other hand have recently spoken out about a lack of support from Rugby Australia. England scored their first try in the fifth minute and never looked back. Australia managed to create some good moments, but failed to capitalise – crossing the line for the first time in the 54th minute. They weren’t helped by two yellow cards to lock Annabelle Codey, with the second becoming a red. Both cards were given for dangerous tackles, and either of them could have been deemed worthy of a red card. Discipline in other areas also let Australia down as England ran away with a comfortable win.
Canada 42-22 Wales
Canada had to work hard for their win against Wales, despite what the final score might suggest. As favourites leading into the match, Canada might have been surprised to find themselves behind after half-an-hour. With Canada ahead 21-17 at half-time, their class really shone through in the second half as they restricted Wales to one try while scoring three themselves. Wales played extremely well, but were just unable to sustain it for the full 80 minutes. Canada’s captain, Sophie de Goede was crucial for them, scoring the opening try and having a perfect game from the kicking tee.
New Zealand 17-18 France
The most anticipated match of the opening round certainly didn’t disappoint. In a replay of the World Cup semi-final, France were out for revenge against the reigning world champions. France’s crunching defence stifled the Black Ferns’s normally free flowing attack and forced a high number of mistakes. The Black Ferns were also guilty of trying too much and their accuracy suffered across all facets of their game. New Zealand committed 15 handling errors which really let them down, as any momentum was instantly killed by someone dropping the ball. Once France got out in front it was always going to be hard for New Zealand to rein them in. The Black Ferns also had to play the final 20 minutes with only 14 players after Chryss Viliko got a red card for a dangerous clean-out. New Zealand, however, will take some solace from the fight back after the red card, and especially the scrum dominance despite being down a player.
Final Thoughts
WXV 1 Weekend 1 has left France and England as the most likely winners of this year’s competition. France will fancy themselves, as they will be favourites to win both of their remaining games against Wales and Canada. England are still to play Canada and New Zealand, which will both be tough games. Friday’s match will be the one to watch as England take on Canada in Dunedin. This game is a repeat of the other semi-final at last year’s World Cup, in which Canada pushed England right until the final whistle.
England vs Canada – Friday 27 October 7pm (local time).
New Zealand vs Wales – Saturday 28 October 4pm (local time).
France vs Australia – Saturday 28 October 7pm (local time).
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