Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Mark Anscombe has selected his strongest side of the Americas Rugby Championship to face Uruguay in Maldonado on Saturday. While the team waved goodbye to Taylor Paris and Benoit Piffero as the returned to France early in the week, they welcomed two others coming in the other direction.
Conor Trainor steps into the midfield as one of the form players in the French Pro D2 this season, allowing Nick Blevins to return to his favored inside centre position. Gordon McRorie is recalled as captain and scrumhalf to reunite with Wolf Pack teammate Robbie Povey in the halfbacks, and there is a first cap for Ontario Blues standout Kainoa Lloyd in place of Paris on the left wing.
Adding considerable experience to the pack is Cornish Pirates lock Brett Beukeboom, who arrives just in time to face a formidable Uruguayan scrum. Clay Panga comes in on the blindside flank with Lucas Rumball switching to openside. On the bench there is a return for reserve hooker Eric Howard and also a second Beukeboom – 19-year-old tyro Matt, who could see the field with older brother Brett should he appear as a replacement.
CANADA
1 Rob Brouwer, 2 Ray Barkwill, 3 Matt Tierney, 4 Brett Beukeboom, 5 Reegan O’Gorman, 6 Clay Panga, 7 Lucas Rumball, 8 Admir Cejvanovic, 9 Gordon McRorie (capt.), 10 Robbie Povey, 11 Kainoa Lloyd, 12 Nick Blevins, 13 Conor Trainor, 14 Dan Moor, 15 Brock Staller
Replacements: 16 Eric Howard, 17 Djustice Sears-Duru, 18 Cole Keith, 19 Liam Chisholm, 20 Matt Beukeboom, 21 Phil Mack, 22 Gradyn Bowd, 23 Guiseppe du Toit
