Blues to play ARP Selects in Ottawa

The Ontario Blues will play host to the ARP Selects on Saturday at Twin Elm Park in Ottawa, immediately following the international match between Canada and the USA. The Blues have faced clubs from the American Rugby Premiership before, most recently defeating Old Blue in a preseason tilt in May, but this is the first time they will play against a select XV comprised of leading American clubs from the east coast.

Former North Harbour, Northland, and Wasps second row Marty Veale will act as head coach, a role he also occupies with New York club Old Blue. The New Zealand native says the game has been months in the making, and hopes it becomes a regular fixture going forward.

“[Old Blue coach] Steve Lewis and I had been meeting with [Ontario Blues manager] Mark Winokur for about 12-14 months while he was down working in New York. Mark floated the idea of a New York City team to play the Blues. Steve and I chatted about it and went back to Mark with the ARP Selects idea.

“We see this as an annual fixture from here on. It has been tough from our end to get all of the pieces of the puzzle together, but where there is a will, there is a way. We are fortunate that we have players that want to play at a higher level, and to those players we say ‘thank you’ for making this event happen. It’s a tricky time of the year with sevens just finishing and others just getting back into preseason. We are looking to develop players for the national team, and we feel that games like this are a stepping stone towards playing at the next level.”

With that bridge to the next level in mind, both sides approached national coaches Kieran Crowley and Mike Tolkin, with the offer to field international players who needed game time and were not playing in the test match. Crowley has allowed scrumhalf Jamie Mackenzie to get a run with the Blues. As of yet no Eagles have been released, but four roster spots remain open in the case of last minute additions.

“I spoke with Mike a few weeks ago and he knows that this game is on,” said Veale. “We have offered to help out if he thinks some of his players need game time. We have had a few guys pull out due to injuries, and others unavailable with sevens, but still have a good mix representing all five clubs.”

Blues head coach Chris Silverthorn has selected his strongest available squad for the match, though they will be absent all their current internationals with Mackenzie the exception. Silverthorn is looking forward to the match as the Blues bring their 2015 season to a close.

“Saturday’s match is our final test of the season, and it will certainly be one of the toughest and most prestigious games in our program’s seven year history. The level of competition will be very much on par with what we face in the Canadian Rugby Championship, and we’ll have to be at our best if we want to finish the year with a victory.

“We’ve seen a number of our under-23 Emerging Blues players raise their hands and push their way into the squad based on their strong play this season. They’re champing at the bit to represent their province, and when they go up against the ARP Selects, they’ll be entering one of the highest level rugby environments of their careers.”

Included in the Blues lineup are 13 members of the team that traveled to Calgary for the CRC. Balmy Beach and Canada ‘A’ veterans Hank McQueen and Scott Dunham reprise their roles in the second row, while there is a return for former Canada flanker Andrew Wilson, who lines up in the unusual position of no8 for the match, his first in senior Blues colours since August of 2010.

Matt Tierney lines up at tighthead for his last match before departing on an academy contract with French Top 14 club Pau, and fellow national u20 rep Lucas Rumball lines up at no6 after taking part in the Serevi RugbyTown 7s this past weekend. Peter Milazzo wins his first senior Blues cap on the other flank, with back row Max van Dijk and midfielder John Sheridan set to make their debuts from the bench.

Returning at centre is captain Derek Daypuck, a veteran of the 2007 World Cup, while Canada ‘A’ winger Dan Moor is on the wing with former u20 rep Jon West at fullback. A number of recent age-grade internationals adorn the bench, including van Dijk, hooker Sawyer Herron, second row Paul Ciulini, and scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson. 18-year old centre Trent Cooper has recently been drafted into the Maple Leafs national sevens development program.

There are no senior Eagles caps present in the Selects side, but three members of the tight five – prop Chris Sullivan and second rows Trevor Cassidy and Brodie Orth – have been included in national training camps in recent years. Sullivan and Cassidy were members of the USA Selects side that competed in the 2013 Americas Rugby Championship.

Flanker Harrison Higgins and fullback Lucas Baistrocchi are Collegiate All-Americans, and centre Ceri Llewelyn was a junior international for Wales. Former Leinster ‘A’ back row Gareth Austen is one of several Irish-born players in the side, while flyhalf Richie Lobb originates from North Harbour in New Zealand.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 6:15pm EST. At the moment there is no stream scheduled.

ONTARIO BLUES
1 Rob Brouwer (Lindsay)
2 Eric Howard (Brantford Harlequins)
3 Matt Tierney (Mississauga Blues)
4 Hank McQueen (Balmy Beach)
5 Scott Dunham (Balmy Beach)
6 Lucas Rumball (Balmy Beach)
7 Peter Milazzo (Toronto Saracens)
8 Andrew Wilson (Oakville Crusaders)
9 Jamie Mackenzie (Oakville Crusaders)
10 Matt Alexander (Oshawa Vikings)
11 Dan Moor (Balmy Beach)
12 Derek Daypuck (capt., London St. George’s)
13 Josh Campbell (London St. George’s)
14 Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga Blues)
15 Jon West (Aurora Barbarians)

16 Sawyer Herron (Oakville Crusaders)
17 Brendan Blaikie (Markham Irish)
18 Tyler Doran (London St. George’s)
19 Paul Ciulini (Aurora Barbarians)
20 Max van Dijk (Oakville Crusaders)
21 Andrew Ferguson (Oakville Crusaders)
22 John Sheridan (Markham Irish)
23 Trent Cooper (Oshawa Vikings)

Head coach – Chris Silverthorn
Assistant coach – Paul Connelly
Manager – Mark Winokur
Analyst – Rodin Lozada
Therapist – Chris Kelly

ARP SELECTS
1 Paul Unsworth (Old Blue)
2 Pat Fife (NYAC)
3 Chris Sullivan (Old Blue)
4 Trevor Cassidy (Old Blue)
5 Brodie Orth (Boston RFC)
6 Gareth Austen (Boston Irish)
7 Harrison Higgins (Old Blue)
8 Dylan Fawsitt (Life)
9 Dale Harris (Boston Irish)
10 Richie Lobb (Boston RFC)
11 Kyle Granby (NYAC)
12 Paddy Owens (Boston Irish)
13 Ceri Llewelyn (Boston RFC)
14 Sean Verma (NYAC)
15 Lucas Baistrocchi (Boston RFC)

RESERVES
Mike Brown (Old Blue)
Sam Scroggins (Old Blue)
Josh Longmore (Old Blue)
James Bird (Old Blue)
more to be determined

Head coach – Marty Veale (Old Blue)
Assistant coach – Mike Diamantopoulos (Boston RFC)
Assistant coach – Anthony Adam (Boston RFC)
Manager – John Ryan (NYAC)

NON-TRAVELING STAFF
Selector – Blake Bradford (Life)
Selector – Fergal Hehir (Boston Irish)
Selector – Neil McMillan (NYAC)

Chris Silverthorn quotes courtesy of Brock Smith and Rugby Ontario