After being sidelined 13 months with a knee injury, Canada's Sophie de Goede is making her mark at the Rugby World Cup in England.

The 26-year-old forward from Victoria led the tournament with 53 carries during the pool stage — the only player to crack 50. She also ranked first in offloads completed with 10 and was second in successful place-kicks with 13.

"I feel like every game I'm getting more confident," de Goede said Thursday. "I had only played a couple of games and only test matches — no club games or anything — before coming here. So I think it's trending in the right direction."

But as the second-ranked Canadians prepare for their quarterfinal showdown Saturday with seventh-ranked Australia in Bristol, de Goede says there are more boxes to tick.

"I think I'm finding my groove

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