Key events
Natasha “Mo” Hunt is talking to the BBC
“This means everything. This is unimaginable; the game, the whole tournament, I could not be prouder. John [Mitchell] has kept it simple, he’s been brutally honest at time, but I respect that, and he’s got this week bang on. It wasn’t about the emotion, but about the process and the emotions take care of themselves. He was right.”
The obligatory shot of the trophy being engraved with the name of the winner is shown as we await the formal presentation.
Sadia Kabeya, Player Of The Match, is talking.
“It’s amazing, thankyou to everyone who came out today. It’s a pinch me moment, but it’s been years in the making and so glad we can pull it off for you today. We did all the right things today.”
Joy is unconfined in the England ranks; tears fall, smiles rise and hugs are clasped. Among the joy must be an enormous sense of satisfaction as this was a job very well done in the final.
ENGLAND WIN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP!
80 mins. The ball is gathered by Galligan in the lineout, it doesn’t emerge and the ref’s whistle blows. GAME OVER!
A dominant display from the forward pack delivers the trophy for the favourites.
79 mins. Canada gamely try to look like they can create something around halfway, but are then penalised for a neck roll.
76 mins. The Red Roses play away from a tidy scrum in their own half to Kildunne, who sensibly kicks to touch to force Canada backwards.
74 mins. Fourteen phases from Canada, each less impactful than the rest. The time and the hope ebbs away from them.
72 mins. Loads of phases from Canada that go nowhere as England fan out and contain it with proficiency. In the end they have little choice but to kick it away to Kildunne who takes her turn to boot it to touch.
TRY! Canada 13 – 33 England (Alex Matthews)
68 mins. Kildunne puts a bomb up that an exhausted looking de Goede fumbles forward. This puts England on the attack in the 22 for the first time in a little while but the result is still the same, points in the shape of a try and a second for Matthews.
65 mins. An England knock-on at the lineout gives Canada a scrum in the 22. This leads to a humiliating shove from the Red Roses pack that splinters the scrum and souls of the Canada forwards into a thousand pieces. A devastating statement form England.
63 mins. More possession for the Canadians as they are finally starting to look a bit more like themselves as the England defence perhaps tires a little. They have a lineout in the England 22.
60 mins. Canada appear to get a nudge in the scrum but the ref considers that was due to their tighthead prop not driving straight. Penalty England that is gladly booted to touch.
58 mins. The ball is won in the lineout, which to be fair to Tuttosi she has really tightened up. They drive up to the line before working the phases left and right that forces England offside again. Apps decides to tap and go but the ball is spilled forward, to the delight of the Red Roses defenders.
That feels like an important moment for both teams. If England can ride this out and get 15 players back on the field, that’s the game.
55 mins. The Maple Leafs are not going to die with the music i them as Schell runs the restart back and feeds Apps into space. She races forward and chips the ball over Kildunne, chases it and regathers on the ground. Two phases later England are offside.
TRY! Canada 13 – 26 England (Asia Hogan-Rochester)
53 mins. Canada waste no time from the lineout and run a lovely pattern that moves the ball quickly to the winger in space who is in once more. Could this be a turning point?
De Goede misses the conversion from out wide.
YELLOW CARD! Hannah Botterman (England)
51 mins. Botterman tips Paquin beyond the horizontal and takes her to ground on her shoulder. Ref Davidson reaches immediately for the pocket and send the prop for 10 mins thinking time.
TRY! Canada 8 – 26 England (Abbie Ward)
50 mins. Matthews drives from the base of the scrum and two phases later Ward forces herself over.
Harrison’s conversion bounces back off the post.
48 mins. There are repeated short carries from the bruising England pack before the ball is sent to the right. There is space out there but it’s fumbled forward by Jones. No matter as Paquin is penalised for a tackle off the ball in back play. It shocks no-one that England opt to take a 5m scrum
46 mins. More breakdown issues for Canada, this time due to Pelletier entering from the side. This has England attacking from a lineout on the 22.
44 mins. The ball moves left to Kildunne who flies through a tiny gap and chips over the top to chase into the 22. Hogan-Rochester does well to tidy it and the ball is worked clear via some carries and kick clear.
2 mins. Another good opening from Canada with Tessier kicking a 50:22 that gives her side a fabulous platform. But the lineout is mangled once more, this time Ward stealing the throw to release the pressure.
Tuttosi overthrows the next lineout as well and it would probably best if she was hooked off now as she looks shot.
Second Half!
Perry sends the ball skywards and it’s forty minutes to glory or despondency.
It looked decent for Canada for three minutes or so, but since that opening try England have controlled this game ruthlessly. The Red Roses are blunting the fast rucking game, dominating the scrum and set piece and outmuscling the Maple Leafs. Canada are not helping themselves by repeated errors in handling, lineout and not being tight enough with their own breakdown.
To win this game, Canada must score two more tries than England in the second half. Nothing about the match thus far suggests that is going to happen, but the disallowed England try late in the half at least maintains it as a vague possibility for their fans and players.
This is exactly the kind of display John Mitchell will have craved, and there is clearly some truth in his pre-match assertion that his side had a plan for this Canada team. The forwards have pulverised them.
Half Time! Canada 8 – 21 England
40 mins. Botterman gets onto another ruck to win a penalty after Canada work into the England half. Hunt decides to use this kick to end the half.
37 mins. More imprecision from Canada, this time from Tuttosi overthrowing in the lineout. Cockayne is on it and running wild into the opposition half, but the ball is lost forward by Kildunne soon after.
35 mins. From the restart, Hogan-Rochester has a dazzling little dart of a run that moves her team up to their own 10 metre line. However the next recycle is too loose and that’s all the invite Botterman needs to clamp on and win a penalty.
From the lineout England drive over again for Cockayne to ground it, but it’s scrubbed off as Muir sealed off the Canadian defenders before the maul formed. NO TRY!
PENALTY! Canada 8 – 21 England (Sophie de Goede)
33 mins. It’s a rinse/repeat set from Canada with a lineout and drive that England halt but then infringe in the middle of the park. De Goede calls for the kicking tee to get some reward for the scarce territory.
31 mins. It’s Canada’s turn to have some forwards fun with a maul driven ten metres up to the line. The ball has to be used and some short carries fail to get over the line before Aldcroft yoinks the ball from the ruck. It didn’t look like the ball was out and playable to me, but the ref says it was fair game and Hunt gladly kicks it to touch.
28 mins. Canada are having the life squeezed out of them by England’s physicality and they need to get some ball and some points before half time. This starts with possession won from the kick-off and some phases in the English half. The defence handles it for the most part and forces a kick from Tessier that Kildunne marks in the 22 and clears.
TRY! Canada 5 – 21 England (Alex Matthews)
26 mins. The England scrum drives forward again and this time a try is scored by Matthews lifting the ball from the base and muscling over.
Another two points are added from Harrison’s boot.
25 mins. In a statement of intent, England opt for a 5m scrum penalty option. They get a nudge on towards the line before Hunt picks and drives and is tackled short. Dow has another go but is also stopped by the Canada wall, but there was an advantage being played, so we’ll do it all again.
