Canada team announcement (v AUS): head coach Rouet, captain Tessier, Corrigan, Paquin

Head coach Kevin Rouet, captain Alex Tessier, Alysha Corrigan and Karen Paquin (pictured) speak after Canada announced their matchday 23 for the quarter-final against Australia at Ashton Gate Stadium on Saturday

Kevin Rouet, head coach

On the changes to the squad:
"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.

On whether he’s been keeping an eye on the weather this weekend:
"On Wednesday, we practised in heavy rain. I think we have one of the best kick chases, so we can adapt ourselves if we need to. I hope it’s sunny because we want it to be a fun game for people to watch."

On how approaching a quarter-final is different to pool matches:
"Physically, for the squad, it’s the first week of a decrease in training. Last week we pushed it a little bit, and you could see sometimes we were a little flat against Scotland, but now it’s just about refining details."

On Canada’s men's squad qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2027:
"The game is growing, so whatever it is: sevens, men’s 15s, or women’s 15s, we need to have wins everywhere. That’s important for us; the more success we get, the better we’re going to be as a federation. So, the men qualifying will have an impact on the women’s game in one or two years’ time. So, I’m very happy to see that."

Alex Tessier, captain

On being the strong favourites in this fixture:
"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."

What the players learnt from the previous game against Scotland:
"We took a lot of learnings. 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."

Alysha Corrigan

How they assessed Australia’s performance against England:
"I think they nailed their kicking game and have so much speed out wide. They had a good game against England, and we have to be ready for that."

Karen Paquin

On the experience of this tournament compared to the previous three she’s played in:
"I think it's grown so much. The visibility - the effect that it has on people away from the World Cup at home, in front of the TV - is huge, and having been through four of them, this has been exceptional. It’s exciting for us to help grow our sport, especially in Canada."