Canada names squad to face Māori

Canada have named 29 players to prepare for their friendly against the New Zealand Māori at BC Place on Friday, November 3. With Friday’s match falling outside the official World Rugby test window overseas are not obliged to release their players for international duty, however new Head Coach Kingsley Jones has managed to secure a handful of European-based professionals and two from New Zealand. A revised squad for the European tour including other top professionals will be named next week.

Arriving from European clubs to bolster the squad are props Djustice Sears-Duru and Matt Tierney, second row Kyle Baillie, flanker Matt Heaton, and flyhalf Shane O’Leary. Oxford University winger Dan Moor will join up with the team as will World Cup captain Tyler Ardron and Northland lock Josh Larsen, one of five uncapped players in the group. Ardron and Larsen arrive following the completion of their Mitre 10 Cup commitments.

Though test caps will not be awarded for the match, Larsen is set to make his senior Canadian debut having previously featured for the national u20 side. Other newcomers who were part of the Canada ‘A’ side that traveled to the Americas Pacific Challenge earlier in the month include hooker Martial Lagain, loose forward Dustin Dobravsky, scrumhalf Jorden Sandover-Best, and centre Mike Nieuwenhuysen.

Burnaby Lake prop Anthony Luca rejoins the side after missing the trip to Montevideo, and there are recalls for UBC Thunderbirds centre Ben LeSage and Meralomas utility back Brock Staller. UBC fullback Andrew Coe also returns having spent recent weeks training with the Canada Sevens program.

Among the injured and unavailable are promising tighthead prop Cole Keith and World Cup trio Gordon McRorie, Connor Braid, and Nick Blevins. Outside centre Conor Trainor and fullback Matt Evans remain long-term casualties who have yet to return to club duty with Achilles and knee injuries respectively.

Friday’s match will be played in front of a sold-out crowd at BC Place, with tickets now available only through exclusive packages.

Kickoff is set for 7pm local time, 10pm Eastern, with a live broadcast available on TSN.

A detailed roster list can be seen here.

FORWARDS
Hubert Buydens (Castaway Wanderers), Anthony Luca (Burnaby Lake), Djustice Sears-Duru (Ealing Trailfinders, UK), Ray Barkwill (Castaway Wanderers), Eric Howard (Brantford Harlequins), Martial Lagain (Sherbrooke Abénakis), Ryan Kotlewski (Westshore), Matt Tierney (Pau, FR), Kyle Baillie (London Scottish, UK), Conor Keys (UVic Vikes), Josh Larsen (Northland, NZ), Tyler Ardron (Bay of Plenty, NZ), Dustin Dobravsky (Castaway Wanderers), Kyle Gilmour (St. Albert), Matt Heaton (Darlington Mowden Park, UK), Lucas Rumball (Balmy Beach)

BACKS
Andrew Ferguson (Westshore), Phil Mack (James Bay), Jorden Sandover-Best (UBCOB Ravens), Shane O’Leary (Ealing Trailfinders, UK), Patrick Parfrey (James Bay), Robbie Povey (Castaway Wanderers), Guiseppe du Toit (UVic Vikes), Ben LeSage (UBC Thunderbirds), Mike Nieuwenhuysen (James Bay), Andrew Coe (UBC Thunderbirds), Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga Blues), Dan Moor (Oxford University, UK), Brock Staller (Meralomas)