Ireland lost 21-8 to hosts Canada in their second match of the WXV1 tournament in Vancouver on Saturday.
Despite a hearty performance, Ireland fell short of a win after stunning world champions New Zealand in their opening game.
The Maple Leafs managed a 21-3 half-time lead thanks to a penalty try and scores from Claire Gallagher and Julia Omokbuale, with Ireland’s Eimear Considine scoring the only try of the second half.
The win for Canada means the North American squad have won two for two in the competition, extending their winning streak to six games in a row.
In the other WXV1 game on Saturday, France beat USA 22-14 and will face Canada in their last match next weekend.
England play New Zealand on Sunday as the Red Roses look to join Canada on two wins from two games, before the pair play each other next Saturday.
What is the WXV?
The 16 teams which have qualified for the final stages, determined by regional competitions or play-off/play-in matches, are split into three divisions.
The WXV 1, 2, and 3 divisions are then split into two pools of three teams each, with each team in Pool A playing each team in Pool B once.
Teams earn four points for a win, with one bonus point for scoring four or more tries and one bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer on offer. Draws are worth two points.
The team with the most points after three matches is crowned champion of their respective division, with the result of matches between tied teams, match points difference, tries difference, match points for, tries for, and world ranking as the tie-breakers in that order.
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