Schell and de Goede ready for Wales test

Canadian duo Julia Schell and Sophie de Goede are looking forward to coming up against familiar PWR foes when they take on Wales this weekend.

Trailfinders Women star Schell was among the standout performers on the World Cup’s opening weekend, running in a remarkable six tries in her side’s 65-7 win over Fiji.

Saracens’ de Goede got the party started in Salford with a sixth-minute score of her own as the nation ranked second in the world laid down a marker.

They now face a Wales side beaten 38-8 by Scotland in their opening contest, with de Goede – back in action following an ACL injury – hoping to get the better of players she is used to facing at club level.

“We know how some of them play and they know how a lot of us play, so it goes both ways that we can both have a more intimate understanding of the skills and abilities of other players,” she said.

“If anything, it just makes it more fun, and it's always fun to try to beat your teammate and hold it over them at club level.

“It's nice to be able to play against people and have that familiarity.

“Wales will have an extra emotional edge and, knowing Welsh players, they thrive off that emotional edge.

“I think we'll have to expect that, but I don't think it changes anything that we do or the pressure that we feel because we anticipate every team giving us our best game, and that's what we prepare for it.”

Schell will have been identified as a particular threat by Wales head coach Sean Lynn, who is fresh from leading Gloucester-Hartpury to a PWR three-peat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup)

The Trailfinders full-back, who needed just 22 minutes to complete her remarkable six-try salvo, was modest about her achievement and said: “I think it was one of those things where you don't really realise what's happening until after the fact.

“A lot of them were very much right place at right time, but it is very cool and obviously very happy about it."

Canada played in York last weekend but switch to Salford this weekend, a stadium used by Sale Sharks in the PWR – which Schell hopes will help.

“Maybe a little bit,” she said.

“Anywhere you've been before just brings like a little bit of comfort, not on a massive level, but even just being in England, we get to eat the food that we eat at home.

“Those kinds of things just calm the nerves and make you feel a bit more at home.”