England downed Canada 41-0 and the USA did the same to South Africa 25-3 on Thursday in the opening round of the Women’s U20 Nations Cup in the campus of the University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB).

England downed Canada 41-0 and the USA did the same to South Africa 25-3 on Thursday in the opening round of the Women’s U20 Nations Cup in the campus of the University of California – Santa Barbara (UCSB). 

England will take on the USA and Canada will square off with South Africa in the next round which will get underway on July 17 at Storke Field on the UCSB campus at 2 p.m. PT.

USA v. SOUTH AFRICA

The USA made a statement against South Africa early in the game turning South African players in the tackles and ensuring life at the breakdown wouldn’t be easy for the visiting team.

Two attempts at goal early indicated that the USA wanted a reward for camping out in the South Africa half for the first part of the game, but both attempts just missed. In fact, it would be South Africa that slotted a penalty 17 minutes in to open the scoring.

Those three points would be the only ones the visiting team would enjoy as the USA equalized within two minutes courtesy of Amelia Bizer.

South Africa was very physical in the tackle area, but poor discipline gave the USA a player advantage for more than half of the game after a series of yellow cards and one offender received a red as a result of two yellows for repeated infringements related to dangerous play in the contact area.

USA scrumhalf Haley Anderson darted around a scrum and went in for a score ten minutes after the Bizer penalty, giving the USA a little breathing room and stoking the Americans’ confidence as evidenced by Alycia Washington’s score eight minutes later.

Washington felt the momentum of a maul and quickly capitalized on that forward movement, dashing over a ruck and scoring, giving the USA a 13-3 lead to go into the half.

Both teams experienced momentum swings and were plagued by penalties, making it very difficult for them to find a rhythm. The result was 30 minutes of play without a score.

USA outside center, Amy Naber, changed that in the 73rd minute ending up on the end of a sweeping backs move out wide. Bizer converted and just like that, the USA had a 17 point cushion with less than ten minutes to go.

Alexandra Brown scored the final try of the game with time winding down, ensuring victory for the USA.

The USA play England next and South Africa will play Canada on July 17.

United States - 25

Tries: Anderson (29’), Washington (35’), Naber (73’), Brown (79’)
Conversions: Bizer (79’)
Penalties: Bizer (20')

South Africa – 3

Penalties: Pienaar (18’)

ENGLAND v. CANADA

England displayed their dominance early when pivot Natasha Jones threw a nice dummy followed by a powerful fend to open her team’s account. Minutes later England’s wing Katie Mason got on the end a nice buildup and movement through the hands to score in the right hand corner. Up 12-0 with ten minutes gone, England put Canada under immense pressure early.

The Canadians held England out for the next ten minutes but England’s work at the breakdown starved Canada of possession and the English stole plenty of Canadian ball. Canada didn’t do themselves many favors by kicking away possession and allowing England to dictate the pace and physicality in the contact area.

Following a strong scrum, England sniffed out an opportunity out wide and England runners ran good, hard support lines to help the cause. One of those runners was Rebecca Mason who crossed the line after a well-executed three-on-two.

Hannah Gallagher, England’s workhorse flanker, scored a textbook loose forward try, charging down a kick in-goal and touching it down. With that, England was up 22-0 at halftime.

Gallagher got the opening score in the second half crashing through tackles to bring the tally to 27-0. The next 30 minutes were hard fought and Canada kept England at bay, but as the Canadian tackle count ascended, England was able to storm over in the waning moments, scoring two tries late in the game.

One was a try from deep courtesy of winger Rebecca Hughes and England twisted the knife in injury time and scored another fantastic try through inside center Ceri Large. The last play of the game was a microcosm of the whole encounter, with England stealing possession, stretching Canada’s defense and exploiting gaps with lethality.

England will face the tournament hosts and fellow round one victors, USA, on Sunday July 17 and Canada will take on South Africa.

England - 41

Tries: Jones (6’), Mason (10’), Hughes (21’, 79’), Gallager (32’, 51’), Large (82’)
Conversions: Reed (6’, 80’, 82’)

Canada - 0

Sunday July 17
Storke Field
Santa Barbara, Calif.

2 p.m. - Canada v. South Africa
4 p.m. - USA v. England

Wednesday July 20
Harder Stadium
Santa Barabara, Calif.
(LIVE Webcast)

4 p.m. England v. South Africa
6 p.m. - USA v. Canada

Saturday July 23
Harder Stadium
Santa Barabara, Calif.
(LIVE Webcast)

2 p.m. – Women’s Under-20 Nations Cup Consolation Game (3rd/4th)
4 p.m. – Women’s Under-20 Nations Cup Championship Game (1st/2nd)