Match Preview – Canada vs USA – RWC Qualifier

Not two years removed from the 2015 World Cup and we’re already into crunch time for qualification in the next. Each side seems to be going through the inevitable ‘rebuilding’ stage that follows a World Cup year and yet neither arrive with a settled lineup or distinct style of play. While the tournament itself is the ultimate goal, the qualification process has become an ordeal in itself and such is the increased level of competition that earning a spot in the tournament is no longer a rubber-stamped guarantee.

The USA have already experienced what it’s like to miss out on the flagship event, having been forced to watch the 1995 tournament in South Africa from the comfort of their own homes, but Canada have appeared in each and every World Cup thus far. For the first time they enter the Americas 1 playoff as underdogs. Five consecutive losses to the USA and an historic low of 23 on the World Rugby Rankings, six spots below the Eagles, have earned Canada that status. The equalizer, however, just might be a raft of injuries that have deprived the Eagles of a significant number of their top players.

Nearly the entire first-choice forward pack will sit out for the Americans. Titi Lamositele, Samu Manoa, and Greg Peterson will take no part in the series while Joe Taufete’e, Chris Baumann, and Tony Lamborn have also been ruled out of the first test. The backs will be missing Thretton Palamo, Luke Hume, Zack Test, and Blaine Scully. Also out is Ryan Matyas, who was a late withdrawal from the team with illness.

Called into the squad ahead of the Ireland test is Newcastle Falcons prop Paddy Ryan, who will assume the crucial tighthead position in the absence of Baumann. Ben Landry is given the nod over Nate Brakeley in the second row, and John Quill starts at openside for Lamborn. Todd Clever leads the team from the blindside in what looks to be the penultimate appearance of the veteran flanker in an Eagles jersey.

Nate Augspurger is recalled at scrumhalf in place of Shaun Davies and AJ MacGinty is restored to his preferred flyhalf position. Marcel Brache and Bryce Campbell form a hard-running midfield and there is a contract of power and panache on the wing with Matai Leuta on the left and Mike Te’o on the right. The latter shifts from fullback to fill in for Matyas, with Ben Cima stepping in at fullback.

Canada have not been free of injury either. Outside center Conor Trainor has been forced out with an Achilles injury and joins long-term casualties Jeff Hassler and Matt Evans on the sidelines. Lucas Rumball and Rob Brouwer are missing from the forward pack but otherwise it is a respectable Canadian selection.

Djustice Sears-Duru and Jake Ilnicki return in the front row while head coach Mark Anscombe has opted for ball carriers in the loose forward in Admir Cejvanovic and Tyler Ardron. Matt Heaton will be the forager on the flank with Rumball still out of contention.

Much of the pre-game talk centered around the backline, where Phil Mack has won the race to partner Shane O’Leary in the halfbacks and Connor Braid is pushed to inside center to accommodate the Irishman. With Trainor’s unlucky injury the hole in the midfield will be filled by DTH van der Merwe, who returns to the No 13 jersey for the first time in a Canadian shirt since 2012. Ciaran Hearn is instead preferred at fullback with newcomer Andrew Coe bumped to the wing.

Of the two sides there’s no question the USA’s injury count is more severe, and this will give hope to a Canadian side that is under fire after a difficult start to the year and only one win from seven matches. The Eagles have not looked convincing in their two matches in June but do have a successful Americas Rugby Championship campaign to fall back on.

North American derbies are always fiercely contested and this should be no different. Short of form and with unsettled lineups it’s most likely that mistakes will dictate the contest, with goal-kicking sure to play a big part. The long-range threat of Cima could well be a talking point at the final whistle but it’s O’Leary’s battle for control against former Connacht teammate MacGinty that will be the deciding factor in round one of the World Cup Qualifiers.

CANADA
1 Djustice Sears-Duru, 2 Ray Barkwill, 3 Jake Ilnicki, 4 Brett Beukeboom (co-capt.), 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Admir Cejvanovic, 7 Matt Heaton, 8 Tyler Ardron, 9 Phil Mack, 10 Shane O’Leary, 11 Taylor Paris, 12 Connor Braid, 13 DTH van der Merwe (co-capt.), 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Ciaran Hearn

Replacements: 16 Benoît Pifféro, 17 Anthony Luca, 18 Matt Tierney, 19 Kyle Baillie, 20 Aaron Carpenter, 21 Gordon McRorie, 22 Nick Blevins, 23 Dan Moor

USA
1 Anthony Purpura, 2 James Hilterbrand, 3 Paddy Ryan, 4 Ben Landry, 5 Nick Civetta, 6 Todd Clever (capt.), 7 John Quill, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Nate Augspurger, 10 AJ MacGinty, 11 Matai Leuta, 12 Marcel Brache, 13 Bryce Campbell, 14 Mike Te’o, 15 Ben Cima

Replacements: 16 Peter Malcolm, 17 Ben Tarr, 18 Dino Waldren, 19 Matt Jensen, 20 David Tameilau, 21 Andrew Durutalo, 22 Shaun Davies, 23 Will Magie

Date: Saturday, June 24
Venue: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton
Kickoff: 15:00 local (12:00 PT)
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Assistants: Andrew Brace (IRFU) & Shuhei Kubo (JRFU)
TMO: Sean Davey (RFU)
Broadcasts: TSN & The Rugby Channel