Australia win the series - but not the tournament in Clermont

Day two in Clermont Ferrand began cloudy, overcast – and very different to Day one.

The rugby was just as enthralling, however. The quarter-finals went as expected, and the difference between the top three or four teams and the rest is beginning to show. At the start England, Australia and New Zealand seemed to be playing at a different level – in theory beatable by any other teams in to eight, but opponents had to be utterly faultless for 14 minutes to have a chance to overturn them. France, lifted by their amazing home crowd, made maybe three or four errors against New Zealand… and conceded three tries. The same could be said for Spain in their game with Australia. Give up possession and most of the time you give up a try.

The same can also be said for England, but they took their quarter-final with the United States by the scruff of the neck as well. 14-0 at half-time, they were never seriously troubled until the last minute, by which time the game was well beyond the USA. Wilson Hardy showed why she is such an asset early on, dancing through tackles to put Brennan in, but Scarratt is now incredibly hard to put down – power and height smashed her way to two tries.

Australia’s win against Spain – 35-0 seems remarkable against a team that harried and pushed so hard – was important, not just because it won them a semi-final place, but also because it made them uncatchable in the overall series.

Which left Canada, who – without Jen Kish - did just about enough to beat Fiji, in an error-strewn game. For their first four matches they looked unimpressive, doing enough to win but not setting the stadium alight.

So England seemed comfortable favourties in their semi-final, and when Wilson scored early for England that looked like being confirmed. But then perhaps the first English handling error of their tournament gave Landry a sniff of a gap for Canada and she was away, levelling the scores. A few minutes later she was over again, and at halftime Canada lead 12-5.

It was now a very different team in red. Paquin extended the lead early in the second half, before England hit back with a well taken try by Abbie Brown. Within seconds it looked like she was in again, straight from the start, but a fantastic try saving tackle from Kayla Moleschi turned the ball over – and before the crowd could blink Landry was off for her hat-trick. England had seen potentially 19-19 become 24-10. Two more Canadian tries at the end rubbed it in, but without Moleschi tackle the score would never have been 31-10. Canada in the final.

How to follow that? With a complete classic – “violent chess” would be a way of describing New Zealand and Australia who were at stalemate it seemed until Parry saw a gap on the final play of the half to put Australia ahead. Emilee Cherry doubled the lead in the second half, but Woodman pulled a score back. The kick was missed, however, and with a two score advantage Australia saw out time 14-5.

When it comes to the minor places, 11th place rarely matters – this this time a game that in Rio is likely to decide a place in the 16-17 WSWS is significant, and Kenya won beating Japan 12-5, two Janet Okelo tries being just enough, despite several of the players being clearly exhausted at the end. Kenya - A talented team with great potential.

Russia won the bowl comfortably 24-5 against Ireland before Spain won an overtime 7th place against Fiji.

The crowd had something to cheer when France made the plate final where they met the USA who had seen off a revitalised Fiji 14-12. To the crowd's delight France recovered from an early American score to win the silveware, a Grassineau first-half hat-trick and a Le Pesq try early in the second half being too much for the USA to come back from, though they added two late tries from Baravilala and Javalet to close the gap to a single score at the end.

Portia Woodman, and perhaps the absence of injured Emily Scarratt, was the difference in the first half between New Zealand and England in the third place game. First the mere fact of her presence caused hesitation in the England line, which McAlister ceased on, and then Woodman herself was given half a yard too much room and added a second try. Brennan's well taken score on the break narrowed the gap to 12-7. Woodman was injured early in the second half, but Brazier added a third Fern score, and Tui a fourth from the final play.

And so to the final,where Canada started as they had ended with England. Harvey scored early, before slight hesitance by Australia allowed Russell to add a second. Great footwork by Dalton pulled a try back, but then Austalia gave Landry too much room, before a combination of a great steal and Benn's powerful legs gave Canada a 26-7 lead at the break. Australia started to inch back into the game, and when Landry was carded with the gap down to a single score (26-19) Australia seemed back in the game. But Canada rose to playing with just six, and when Landry came back they even had a penalty - which they kicked to extend the gap to two scores with two minutes left. And it was enough - cue celebrations for Canada's second tournament win, again aginst Australia and again from the final tournament of the season.

Australia, New Zealand, Canada England - it's hard to see anyone breaking up that quartet in Rio.

Quarter-finals: England 21 - 12 USA; New Zealand 19 - 12 France ; Australia 35 - 0 Spain ; Canada 12 - 5 Fiji

Bowl Semi-Finals: Russia 27 - 12 Kenya ; Japan 0 - 33 Ireland

Plate Semi-Finals: USA 14 - 12 Fiji; France 17 - 0 Spain

Cup Semi-Finals: England 10 - 31 Canada ; New Zealand 5 - 14 Australia

11th Place: Kenya 12 - 5 Japan

Bowl Final (9th Place): Russia 24-5 Ireland

7th Place: Fiji 10-13 Spain (AET)

Plate Final (5th Place): USA 17-22 France

3rd Place: England 5-22 New Zealand

Final: Canada v Australia