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Australia’s wheelchair rugby side has tasted a long awaited victory with a gutsy 51-49 win over France at the Canada Cup tournament on Saturday.

The rebuilding Steelers rebounded from two losses the previous day – to Paralympic champions Great Britain and the host nation – to score a win on the back of a superior defensive effort.

“We were really talking about creating that pressure, so getting those turnovers was fantastic,” coach Brad Dubberley said.

“We’ve just got to keep working to get more. We’re continuing to build.”

The Steelers won the quarters on either side of half time. Dubberley praised the performances of Josh Nicholson and Shae Graham, among the spread of strong contributors.

“We had the game won quite a few times but let them back in. It was pretty frustrating. We didn’t have too many ref’s calls go our way,” Dubberley said. “But, in saying that, it was great to see the team keep working.”

The Steelers play Japan, who beat them for the bronze medal at Tokyo 2020, and Denmark, who also had the Steelers’ measure at the Games – and need to beat both to progress. Fans can tune in to watch the live stream via the Canada Cup website.

By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 4 June 2022