Canada head into this quarter-final with their first objective complete: make it out of the pool stage without suffering defeat. Victories over Fiji and Wales in the opening two rounds cemented their place in the knockouts, while their win over Scotland in the last of their pool fixtures ensured they finished top of Pool B. Canada have never won a Women's Rugby World Cup, but come into this edition with plenty of expectations due to their number-two world ranking and a squad containing some of the most exciting players in the game.
Australia may not have gone unbeaten in the pool stage, but they certainly can take pride in qualifying for the knockouts after being drawn in the toughest pool of the competition. After beating Samoa in the first round, they then went toe-to-toe with USA in York in round two for a draw that kept their tournament hopes alive, before doing enough in defeat by England to get through on points difference. The Wallaroos do not have the experience that Canada boasts, but still possess some of the most exciting, fleet-footed and electric backs in world rugby, and will want to stamp their mark on the tournament by taking down one of the form teams.
Kick-off: 16:00 BST, Saturday, 13 September
Venue: Ashton Gate, Bristol
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Canada team
Canada's key player: While Canada have the hugely versatile second-row Sophie de Goede to rely on to provide the power up front as well as the points from the kicking tee, lethal full-back Julia Schell needs to be highlighted here. If there was anyone who didn't know her name before Rugby World Cup 2025, there were certainly few rugby fans around the world who were unaware of her abilities after scoring six (yes, six) tries in the opening game against Fiji. Australia will have to keep her quiet if they are in with a shout of winning this game.
Australia team
Australia's key player: The Wallaroos' exciting back three has an average age of just 22, but they are a unit to be feared. They are ably led by the most capped in Desiree Miller and the oldest (at only 25) in Maya Stewart, but it is Schell's opposite number, Caitlin Halse, who could prove the difference in Bristol. The 18-year-old has featured in all three games so far in this campaign, and her four tries are only two off that of Schell and the other tournament leaders.
What Canada said
Canada head coach Kevin Rouet
"There were no big changes. We don’t make a lot of changes, but sometimes it’s good to have a bench as strong as your starting team, and that’s what we have in this squad. In knockout games like this, your bench is as important as your starters. Against Scotland, the bench had a massive impact, and in a closer game, the bench will have a bigger impact on the score. We’ve built in the last three years, so that I can trust the entire 32-player squad."
Canada captain Alex Tessier:
"I think we've put ourselves in a good position, but also in a position of pressure. Nonetheless, I think they're a good opposition. Pressure is a privilege and we’re looking forward to a good battle on Saturday. We took a lot of learnings (from the game against Scotland). We didn’t apply the same pressure that we normally do. We’ve looked at this week, and we’re looking forward to putting teams under pressure and building on it as well. We’ve fixed a couple of errors, but there was nothing major."
What Australia said
Australia head coach Jo Yapp:
"There’s a lot of confidence we can take from the England game, but there were also some key areas we were looking to focus on this week. We’re excited. The game drivers are aware of the differences in decision-making, and that is different (from the pools) because of those key moments, so that’s something we’ve been working with them on."
Australia captain Siokapesi Palu:
"There has been a huge boost in confidence among the group. You can see that week in week out, we continue to get better. Being able to put a performance like that against a top-quality side (England) for the first 30 minutes surprised us. It’s good because it instils a bit of belief."
