Heather Moyse scored four tries as Canada beat Kazakhstan 45-5 at Ellerslie Rugby Park to secure the bonus point victory they needed to keep alive their hopes of reaching the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
Canada had the bonus point wrapped up within 15 minutes of the match, having scored four tries through Heather Moyse (two), Katie Murray and Rania Burns with Kazakhstan hardly touching the ball in that period.
Moyse coasted through the Kazakhstan defence to open the scoring after only 30 seconds and within minutes she had her second try, the full back receiving quick ball from a scrum in her own half and using her speed to race clear.
A huge forward push by Canada saw them drive over for a third try in the eighth minute, number 8 Murray coming up with the ball and captain Kelly McCallum converting. A free kick seven minutes later saw Rania Burns crash over on the right.
Kazakhstan then gradually settled into the match and got their hands on the ball, but it was Canada who scored the next try, albeit not until the 33rd minute, with Moyse completing her hat-trick. McCallum’s conversion hit the upright to leave it 31-0 at half time.
Waiting game
However the landslide of points the passionate home crowd wanted to boost Canada’s points differential did not materialise as Kazakhstan made the match more competitive and created several scoring chances of their own.
The points did eventually come with scrum half Julia Suguwara picking up from the base of a scrum and running in unchallenged in the 71st minute. Moyse then picked up deep in her own half and beat several Kazakhstan players down the line to score her fourth.