Teams set for Battle of New Scotland

The teams are ready for Canada’s last game on home soil before they depart for the United Kingdom on Sunday. A first ever match in Halifax has not come without hiccups, as the game had to be relocated do to the intended pitch being deemed unfit for international rugby. The new pitch at Graves-Oakley Memorial Park is ready to go, and both teams appear happy with the arrangements.

Kieran Crowley will field a mixed lineup, opting to rest some veterans and giving a few squad players a run before final warm-up tests against Georgia and Fiji. Djustice Sears-Duru gets a chance to stretch his legs in the run-on side, and beside him Benoît Pifféro is given a rare opportunity to start. Evan Olmstead pairs with stand-in captain Jamie Cudmore in a new look second row. Jebb Sinclair looks set to make his first appearance of the test season from the bench as he returns from a knee injury.

A very loose back row contains three players often seen at openside flank, with Kyle Gilmour, Nanyak Dala, and Richard Thorpe offering huge mobility. Phil Mack and Nathan Hirayama are reunited at the halfbacks, and out wide DTH van der Merwe will play against his long-time clubmates for the first time since signing for Scarlets ahead of the upcoming Pro 12 season.

The Warriors have named a strong starting lineup featuring 10 full internationals, seven in the pack. Only Scotland u20 prop Zander Fagerson has not played test rugby among the forwards. The presence of Italian flanker Simone Favaro proves that it was politics, not fitness, that kept him out of the World Cup squad, while Josh Strauss can be expected to have a big impact at no8 as he prepares to rejoin the Scottish squad ahead of the tournament in England.

Former Scotland skipper Mike Blair makes his Glasgow debut having previously donned the colours of Edinburgh before a three-year sojourn abroad. Rory Hughes lines up on the left wing after making his test debut against Italy last weekend, and Peter Murchie captains the side from fullback, a role he will hold until the conclusion of the World Cup.

No caps will be awarded for the match, with each team naming an extended bench and numerous replacements expected at the break and during the second half.

CANADA
1 Djustice Sears-Duru 2 Benoît Pifféro 3 Andrew Tiedemann 4 Evan Olmstead 5 Jamie Cudmore (capt.) 6 Kyle Gilmour 7 Nanyak Dala 8 Richard Thorpe 9 Phil Mack 10 Nathan Hirayama 11 DTH van der Merwe 12 Connor Braid 13 Ciaran Hearn 14 Jeff Hassler 15 Matt Evans

16 Hubert Buydens 17 Ray Barkwill 18 Doug Wooldridge 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Aaron Carpenter 21 Jamie Mackenzie 22 Liam Underwood 23 Harry Jones 24 Brett Beukeboom 25 Phil Mackenzie

GLASGOW WARRIORS
1 Jerry Yanuyanutawa 2 Pat MacArthur 3 Zander Fagerson 4 Tim Swinson 5 Kieran Low 6 Simone Favaro 7 Chris Fusaro 8 Josh Strauss 9 Mike Blair 10 Rory Clegg 11 Rory Hughes 12 Fraser Lyle 13 Glenn Bryce 14 Lee Jones 15 Peter Murchie (capt.)

RESERVES: George Hunter, Kevin Bryce, Mike Cusack, Scott Cummings, James Eddie, Will Bordill, Jason Hill, Grayson Hart, Scott Wight, Mark Robertson, Robbie Fergusson, Junior Bulumakau