RWC2025 | Head coach Kevin Rouet, Taylor Perry and Emily Tuttosi look ahead to Canada's quarter-final against Australia

Head coach Kevin Rouet, Emily Tuttosi, Taylor Perry (pictured) look ahead to Canada's quarter-final against Australia at Ashton Gate Stadium on Saturday.

Kevin Rouet, head coach

On the psychology of knockout rugby versus pool stages:
"We spoke briefly about it this morning and I think it’s more excitement than fear. It’s great. The past helps to build the person, ours helps us to go with confidence but not overconfidence. You have to trust yourself, you have to trust the team and you have to trust your teammate.

On if there’s more pressure to beat Australia because of Canada have won the last seven matches between the two:
"I don’t think there’s more pressure because of that. The past doesn’t matter, we have to focus on present Australia. It’s not the same team that we played five months ago and we are not the same team either. Personally, I don’t know how many past games we have won against them and I don’t care much."

Emily Tuttosi

On the final preparations for the match:
"We’ve talked about how we can get the best out of ourselves as individuals and collectively. That goes to looking at this game like it’s no other. In the back of all our heads there’s obviously consequences of it being in a knockout round, but in order for us to be our best squad, we’re just looking at it as another rugby match. So we are excited."

On the support from home:
"Canadians always show up. Our game in Ottawa having a record-breaking crowd was just kind of the start of the support we’re feeling. Now we’re getting more Canadians in the stands at every game and we feel it whether it’s from our home clubs, our home universities or just a lot of online support. It does mean a lot going into these knock-out rounds."

On having explored Bristol yet:
"I’m actually a really bad person to ask about this. I’m completely fine with  finding a good sweet treat right around the hotel and playing some card games with the girls."

Taylor Perry

One her process for getting into matchday mode: 
"Usually, it’s just hanging out with my friends. Whether it’s a pouring rain day or beautiful sunshine, we’re all out there together and we spend a lot of time together, but we’re still all so obsessed with each other. We get a little bit more competitive and get into a more serious mindset before our warm-up."

On which city has stood out so far:
"The biased answer would be Exeter. That’s where I’ve gotten to call home for the last five years and Exeter really did show up to our games and for all the teams that played at Sandy Park."