World Cup Repechage Guide – Canada

These are hard days for Canadian rugby fans, who yearn for the golden years when the team battered their way into a World Cup Quarter Final. The world has turned in the age of professionalism, however, and Canada’s first crack at full-time rugby won’t come officially until January with the Toronto Arrows enter Major League Rugby.

Off-field controversy has plagued the team with a public row between contracted sevens players and the administrative body knocking several players out of contention – names like Connor Braid, Nathan Hirayama, and Andrew Coe might otherwise have been present. Elsewhere injuries and retirements have seen the team’s performances suffer and they lost to both the USA for Americas 1 last year and Uruguay for Americas 2 earlier this year.

The team has slipped to 23rd on the World Rugby Rankings but despite this they remain favorites by most to come through the Repechage, largely due to the quality of their exiled professionals and their history – Canada has never before failed to qualify for the World Cup. This is the first time they will have to do so through the last-gasp process.

 

RECENT FORM

Canada’s record since the 2015 World Cup stands at 8 wins, 20 defeats, and a draw in test matches. In that time they have fallen to Brazil, Uruguay, and Russia. They earned sizeable victories over Brazil and Chile in the 2018 Americas Rugby Championship but lost all three June tests in convincing fashion. They enter the tournament on a three-game win streak – though the victories came against Tonga ‘A’ and club sides Oxford University and Coventry.

 

HISTORICAL RESULTS

vs Kenya – 0 games

vs Germany – 0 games

vs Hong Kong – 6 games, 5 wins, 1 loss
1996-06-01 – Canada 18-12 Hong Kong – Hong Kong
1996-07-06 – Canada 57-9 Hong Kong – Vancouver
1997-05-24 – Canada 35-27 Hong Kong – Hong Kong
1997-06-07 – Canada 17-16 Hong Kong – Vancouver
1998-05-09 – Canada 17-23 Hong Kong – Hong Kong
1998-06-13 – Canada 38-12 Hong Kong – Shawnigan Lake

 

COACHES

Kingsley Jones was a surprise name announced by Rugby Canada to take over the men’s program a little over a year ago. Since then the affable Welshman has been largely focused on strengthening the domestic contingent. In 11 tests since his appointment Canada have won only three, a ratio he is all too keenly aware of.

By his side for the Repechage competition will be countryman Gruff Rees, in charge of straightening out the backs, and former England international Henry Paul, who is tasked with sorting out the defense. A new addition to the staff is Italian scrum doctor Massimo Cuttitta.

 

CAPTAIN

The talisman and spiritual leader of the team is Phil Mack. He is an easy cliche – small in stature but a giant presence. Since retiring from the sevens circuit he has landed a professional gig as player-coach with the Seattle Seawolves, who he led to the inaugural Major League Rugby title. Mack likes to play hard and fast, his decision making at scrumhalf will be vital to success.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

There are some grizzled veterans in the front row but it’s the back five that are the difference makers. Evan Olmstead is coming off a Mitre 10 Cup title with Auckland and is arguably the best second row in the competition. Kyle Baillie has returned from a shoulder injury with gusto. He will call the lineout and start either at lock or on his favored blindside flank. At No8 is Canada’s most prominent export among the forwads. Former skipper Tyler Ardron now has a Super Rugby season behind him and at his best is a dominant ball carrier and another prime lineout target.

It’s the backs that will give fans some headaches. The biggest decision for Jones is whether to start Gordon McRorie or Shane O’Leary at flyhalf. McRorie has been largely a scrumhalf to now and is the smaller of the two but offers more of a running game. O’Leary is a full-time pro at Nottingham and in good form, he currently leads the RFU Championship scoring race. The undoubted star of the show is DTH van der Merwe, a world class wing for Glasgow Warriors. The new boy is Theo Sauder, inexperienced but not afraid to take chances. He is set to play fullback though he is also an ideal bench option who can also cover flyhalf or wing.

 

WHO’S MISSING

Sevens players aside, the two biggest blows are out wide where Jeff Hassler has opted to walk away from the sport and Taylor Paris is out injured, at least for the opening round. Yorkshire Carnegie winger Dan Moor has surprisingly been left out given the absence of those two and the bloated midfield options. Paul Ciulini and Luke Campbell were left out of the tournament 30, seemingly missing out by preference. Reserve scrumhalf Andrew Ferguson is injured as is the versatile Patrick Parfrey. Blagnac hooker Benoît Pifféro, Rotherham lock Conor Keys, and Coventry fullback Robbie Povey are on standby.

 

VERDICT

It’s easy to pick against a side when they are off-form, and at the same time the romantic has to back Canada’s history. They are never short on commitment at game time. Their problems have largely been self-inflicted, either through questionable administrative decisions or finding ways to ‘snatch defeat from the jaws of victory’.

On paper there just seems too much talent and experience in the team to fall short at such a crucial time in Canadian rugby. For the first time since the World Cup they have the majority of their best players available and even absent the likes of Hassler and Paris there is sufficient depth to get the job done. Canadian fingernails would be well-advised to lay low for the next two weeks.

Prediction: 1st

 

FIXTURES

DATE	LOCAL	ET	PT	OPPONENT
Sun, Nov 11	13:00	07:00	04:00	Kenya
Sat, Nov 17	16:00	10:00	07:00	Germany
Fri, Nov 23	21:00	15:00	12:00	Hong Kong

 

SQUAD

NAME

POS

HGT

WGT

DOB

CAPS

CLUB

Barker, Noah	LH	1.83 6-0	117 255	Aug 20 1992	4	James Bay
Buydens, Hubert	LH	1.91 6-3	123 270	Jan 4 1982	47	New Orleans Gold (US)
Sears-Duru, Djustice	LH	1.85 6-1	121 265	May 24 1994	41	Ontario Arrows

Barkwill, Ray	HO	1.74 5-9	105 230	Aug 26 1980	53	Castaway Wanderers
Howard, Eric	HO	1.76 5-9	105 230	Sep 5 1993	14	New Orleans Gold (US)

Ilnicki, Jake	TH	1.85 6-1	120 265	Feb 24 1992	30	Yorkshire Carnegie (UK)
Keith, Cole	TH	1.83 6-0	115 255	May 7 1997	9	Ontario Arrows
Tierney, Matt	TH	1.90 6-3	125 275	Jul 4 1996	12	Pau (FR)

Beukeboom, Brett	LO	1.96 6-5	113 250	Aug 13 1990	32	Cornish Pirates (UK)
Larsen, Josh	LO	1.97 6-5	110 240	Apr 4 1994	9	Otago (NZ)
Olmstead, Evan	LO	1.98 6-6	115 255	Feb 21 1991	24	Auckland (NZ)
Sheppard, Mike	LO/FL	1.93 6-4	112 245	Dec 20 1988	–	Ontario Arrows

Baillie, Kyle	FL	1.97 6-5	110 240	Apr 7 1991	18	New Orleans Gold (US)
Heaton, Matt	FL	1.90 6-3	101 220	Feb 9 1993	18	Darlington Mowden Park (UK)
Rumball, Lucas	FL	1.89 6-2	105 230	Aug 2 1995	22	Ontario Arrows

Ardron, Tyler

N8

1.97 6-5

112 245

Jun 16 1991

28

Bay of Plenty (NZ)

Mack, Phil	SH	1.70 5-7	83 180	Sep 18 1985	51	Seattle Seawolves (US)
Mackenzie, Jamie	SH	1.73 5-8	89 195	Feb 28 1989	10	Balmy Beach
McRorie, Gordon	SH/FH	1.76 5-9	80 175	May 12 1988	34	Calgary Hornets

O’Leary, Shane

FH

1.78 5-10

92 200

Dec 3 1993

10

Nottingham (UK)

Blevins, Nick	CE	1.88 6-2	98 215	Nov 11 1988	52	Calgary Hornets
du Toit, Guiseppe	CE	1.83 6-0	96 210	Jul 29 1995	12	UVic Vikes
Fraser, Doug	CE	1.72 5-8	93 205	Aug 5 1992	3	Castaway Wanderers
Hearn, Ciaran	CE	1.90 6-3	100 220	Dec 30 1985	60	London Irish (UK)
LeSage, Ben	CE	1.84 6-0	95 210	Nov 24 1995	6	UBC Thunderbirds
Trainor, Conor	CE	1.88 6-2	95 210	May 12 1989	29	Nevers (FR)

Lloyd, Kainoa	WI	1.80 5-11	93 205	May 21 1994	6	Ontario Arrows
van der Merwe, DTH	WI	1.83 6-0	98 215	Apr 28 1986	52	Glasgow Warriors (UK)

Evans, Matt	FB	1.83 6-0	93 205	Jan 2 1988	38	Cornish Pirates (UK)
Sauder, Theo	FB	1.80 5-11	84 185	Apr 2 1996	2	UBC Thunderbirds