Two minutes. It can feel like a lifetime or go by far too quickly, depending upon whether your team is ahead or behind.
In sevens rugby, a mistake here or there can happen in the blink of an eye and alter the outcome of a game. CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 team knows that reality all too well and experienced it last weekend at Westhills Stadium, when they outscored their opponents 129-19 and went 5-1 but wound up in fifth place.
Canada finished strongly, defeating Spain 21-5 in the Plate final Sunday afternoon after a 27-0 thumping of Russia in the semis. But everyone was still talking about the one that got away B次元官网网址� the 14-12 Cup quarter-final loss to France that morning in which Canada led 12-0 with two minutes to go then gave up two converted tries, the last one coming with no time left on the clock.
"We had a great day one (3-0), but that quarter-final really got us," said Kayla Moleschi, the Williams Lake Hustlers rugby product who scored a try in the France game. "But itB次元官网网址檚 how you bounce back from it. We took it to the next two teams with two wins and ultimately thatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檝e got to do is show our resiliency. Obviously next time weB次元官网网址檙e not going to make that two-minute mistake like we did in the quarter-final."
Converted tries from Ghislaine Landry and Hannah Darling gave Canada a 14-0 lead at halftime against Spain, then Britt Benn added to the lead with a try of her own. Spain scored late to prevent Canada from recording its fifth shutout in six games.
Canada head coach John Tait was smiling after his players had a chance to make a circuit around the edge of the field to thank the fans for their support. But he called the day "frustrating" for the way things played out.
B次元官网网址淩eally, we just lost the one game and really only played two bad minutes the whole tournament. But thatB次元官网网址檚 the beauty of sevens, the key moment when you come apart can be your undoing and can be the difference between playing in the finals and playing for the Plate or Bowl.B次元官网网址�
England, beat 5-0 by Canada in a tremendous defensive battle in pool play on Saturday, ran the table Sunday and won three straight games, including the Cup final 31-14 over New Zealand.
The tournament results, which also saw three-time 2016 Cup winner Australia down France 19-12 for third, tightened up the World Rugby WomenB次元官网网址檚 Sevens Series standings somewhat.
Leader Australia (76 points) has a comfortable 12-point lead on the second place Kiwis with just the France tournament left to play. But EnglandB次元官网网址檚 win vaulted it past Canada into third with 60 points, four back of New Zealand. France gained a couple points on Canada to pull within six of fourth spot.
Asked whether this weekendB次元官网网址檚 results indicate a tightening of the field heading toward the 2016 Rio Olympics, Tait said it did, but also that much of what happens depends on injuries, for his team and others.
B次元官网网址�(England has their full squad out right out,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e looking at the Great Britain team for the Olympics. So our girls have confidence that weB次元官网网址檙e learning how to defend against these sides. And if we can add a little more to our attack and B次元官网网址� looking after the ball at key times and managing the clock a little bit better ahead of Rio, then I think weB次元官网网址檙e going in in pretty good shape.B次元官网网址�
Tait said injuries to key individuals have meant the remaining starters have had to play a lot more minutes in the Series thus far. But he noted that younger players such as Charity Williams and Darling played admirably when called upon in Langford. They and other up and comers in the program will get a chance to gain more match experience at a tournament in London the week before the final leg on the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in France, May 28 and 29.
While the fifth-place finish was admittedly not what they hoped for, Moleschi said the Langford tournament provided many positive signs.
"Our big takeaway from this weekend is starving (opponents) of possession," she said. "We did it all weekend and it was just those two minutes that it came down to that we slipped up a bit. But weB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to showing that in France and showing that again at the Olympics."
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
HOW CANADA DID
Results from the Canada Women's Sevens, April 16-17, Westhills Stadium
Day 1 (pool play):
Canada 38 Japan 0 -- Try scorers for Canada (Bianca Farella 2, Karen Paquin, Kayla Moleschi, Britt Benn, Kelly Russell)
Canada 26 Ireland 0 -- (Kayla Mack 2, Farella, Russell)
Canada 5 England 0 -- (Farella)
Day 2 (playoffs):
Cup quarter-finals
France 14 Canada 12 -- (Farella, Moleschi)
Plate semifinals
Canada 27 Russia 0 -- (Paquin 2, Charity Williams, Megan Lukan, Benn)
Plate final (fifth-sixth place)
Canada 21 Spain 5 -- (Ghislaine Landry, Hannah Darling, Benn)
