Canada squad: Surprise inclusions and Notable omissions

Canada named a 40-strong longlist last week for their July internationals against Wales and England. It contained most of those expected with only a small number of notable omissions and a handful of surprise inclusions though further scrutiny may be required when the traveling group is revealed.

Roughly half of the World Cup squad has been retained with almost the same number of uncapped players called up. Major League Rugby supplies almost three-quarters of the group with a half-dozen from Europe and a sprinkling of Pacific Pride talent, effectively amateurs but part of the centralized daily training program at Rugby Canada’s home base in Langford, BC.

Several players who might have come into contention are currently tied up with preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and should return ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers against the USA in early September. It’s unclear if others left off the list will be considered for that series.

 

FRONT ROW

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Hubert Buydens Djustice Sears-Duru	LH Prop	Cole Keith Liam Murray Djustice Sears-Duru
Eric Howard Benoît Pifféro Andrew Quattrin	Hooker	Foster Dewitt Eric Howard Dewald Kotze Andrew Quattrin
Jake Ilnicki Cole Keith Matt Tierney	TH Prop	Jake Ilnicki Tyler Rowland

Hubert Buydens and Benoît Pifféro have retired from international rugby, otherwise the only absentee is Matt Tierney. He has played both loosehead and tighthead prop for Castres and figured to be the first choice No3, but it seems injuries will keep him out of the July tests.

Cole Keith has made a transition from tighthead to loosehead with the Arrows which has had mixed results. 21-year-old Tyler Rowland has emerged as a genuine contender at tighthead. Liam Murray is the only uncapped prop named though he has previously represented Canada at u20 and Senior ‘A’ level.

Foster Dewitt and Dewald Kotze are added from the Pride. Dewitt has also played loosehead prop while Kotze is reportedly also being considered as a tighthead.

Uncapped LA hooker Lindsey Stevens was ruled out by a knee injury while Northland captain Jordan Olsen, who has played for a Canada XV, is omitted but may not have been available. Steven Ng has missed the entire season for the Arrows with Jack McRogers left to finish the season with Toronto.

Depth at prop is a concern with Houston’s Nik Hildebrand and Arrows pair Chris Atkinson and Marc-Antoine Ouellet the only other Canadian options in MLR. Eligible pros abroad include Conor Young, who has returned to Australia after a stint in Scotland, and Les Leulua’ial’i-Makin who is currently in Japan.

 

SECOND ROW

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Kyle Baillie Conor Keys Josh Larsen Evan Olmstead	Lock	Kyle Baillie Paul Ciulini Tyler Duguid Conor Keys Josh Larsen Evan Olmstead

All four of those who traveled in 2019 remain in the picture. Kyle Baillie has featured on the blindside in the past but lately has been used exclusively as a lock by NOLA. A slimmed-down Paul Ciulini was on the World Cup longlist but hasn’t been capped since June 2018.

Tyler Duguid is only 20 years old and already the largest man in the team. He has recently broken into the Montpellier senior squad and is a certainty to make his test debut in July.

MLR options left out are Toronto’s Adrian Wadden, Houston’s Lucas Albornoz, Austin’s Reegan O’Gorman, and Utah’s Hank Stevenson. O’Gorman has struggled with injury while Stevenson is yet to make his professional debut.

 

BACK ROW

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Dustin Dobravsky Matt Heaton Lucas Rumball Mike Sheppard	Flanker	Mason Flesch Matt Heaton Lucas Rumball Michael Smith Corey Thomas
Tyler Ardron Luke Campbell	No8	Tyler Ardron Siaki Vikilani

There are significant changes in the back row. Dustin Dobravsky has stepped away from representative rugby. Luke Campbell joined Old Glory this year after missing the 2020 season but hasn’t been able to find a consistent place in the side.

Initially selected as a lock, Mike Sheppard found himself in the back row in Japan. The 32-year-old is now on the outside looking in with LA’s Corey Thomas filling the lock/flanker role. Mason Flesch has played in the second row for the Arrows but is considered a flanker at international level.

Michael Smith has made an immediate impression in the No7 shirt for San Diego and is one of three opensides named. Siaki Vikilani made his Arrows debut on the weekend and is backup to Tyler Ardron at No8, the 20-year-old preferred to San Diego’s Travis Larsen.

Montauban blindside Matt Beukeboom is a surprising omission, with MLR openside trio Marcello Wainwright (Toronto), Nakai Penny (Seattle), and Moe Abdelmonem (Austin) all injured. Penny is the only one capped of the three and the most likely to have been in contention.

 

HALFBACKS

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Phil Mack Jamie Mackenzie Gordon McRorie	Scrumhalf	Ross Braude Fraser Hurst Will Percillier
Peter Nelson Shane O’Leary	Flyhalf	Will Kelly Peter Nelson Shane O’Leary Robbie Povey

It’s a completely new set of scrumhalves, an unusual situation resulting from the selection of three 30-plus options for the World Cup. Will Percillier had debuted earlier in 2019 but the Stade Français academy standout was bizarrely left out of the traveling team. Now 22, he has broken into the senior squad in Paris and looks to be the first choice option though not without competition.

Ross Braude was a player of national interest in South Africa before committing to the Maple Leaf, qualifying through his Canadian-born father. He has impressed in his first season with the Arrows, with u20 graduate Fraser Hurst also showing well as the second choice at Utah.

Arrows backups Andrew Ferguson and Jason Higgins miss out, while Pride graduate Crosby Stewart has yet to make a regular season appearance for Houston. Brock Gallagher is currently with the Langford program and will need to find his way to MLR to make a more compelling case for inclusion.

The No10 shirt has been unsettled for Canada for the last decade since Ander Munro retired. Former Ulster fullback Peter Nelson was shoehorned into the position at the World Cup with Shane O’Leary selected but largely ignored. O’Leary has been playing a division above Nelson in France but it remains to be seen if that will impact his standing in the eyes of Kingsley Jones.

Will Kelly is a tall, rangy prospect with one cap to his name but has seen limited game time with the Arrows. Robbie Povey last played for Canada in 2018 and has revived his fortunes with some strong showings for Houston. Povey is also an option at fullback.

Cooper Coats and Brock Webster both attended November’s High Performance camp but are currently engaged with the Sevens program. Previously capped but also aiming for the Olympics are Nathan Hirayama, Harry Jones, and Connor Braid.

 

MIDFIELD

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Nick Blevins Guiseppe du Toit Ciaran Hearn Ben LeSage Conor Trainor	Center	Guiseppe du Toit Spencer Jones Lockie Kratz Ben LeSage Quinn Ngawati

Conor Trainor is another on the list preparing for Tokyo while Nick Blevins has stepped away from the rugby spotlight. Ciaran Hearn continues to play for Old Glory but at 35 is now in the twilight of his career.

Spencer Jones is uncapped but has slipped ahead of Guiseppe du Toit in the Arrows pecking order at inside center, with Ben LeSage the first choice at No13. Newcomers Quinn Ngawati and Lockie Kratz are both highly rated graduates of the u20 program who are enjoying their first seasons in MLR with New York and NOLA respectively.

A knee injury ruled out San Diego’s Josh Thiel, who would otherwise have been a likely inclusion. Seattle’s George Barton has been overtaken on form by the players selected while Canada ‘A’ rep Mitch Richardson and teenager Kobe Faust are reserve centers for the Arrows.

 

OUTSIDE BACKS

RWC 2019	POS	JUNE 2021
Jeff Hassler Kainoa Lloyd Taylor Paris DTH van der Merwe	Wing	Cole Davis Doug Fraser Kainoa Lloyd Isaac Olson
Andrew Coe Patrick Parfrey Theo Sauder	Fullback	Patrick Parfrey Brennig Prevost

Canada’s strongest group at the World Cup, the outside backs are severely depleted at the moment. DTH van der Merwe has retired from test rugby, the Olympics have claimed Andrew Coe and Theo Sauder, and injuries have struck down Jeff Hassler and Taylor Paris.

Cole Davis left the sevens program and has benefited from his move to Austin. Doug Fraser prefers center but has also spent significant time on the wing for Old Glory. Kainoa Lloyd has skipped MLR for the past two seasons in an attempt to make the Olympics but intense competition for spots means he is now back in the XVs frame.

Age-grade international Brennig Prevost is the starting fullback for the Pride who was also recently training with the Sevens side. Isaac Olson is a bolter – just 20 years old – with good size who may factor more as a center in the future.

Alternatives are few. Johnny Sheridan did not travel south with the Arrows while Karsten Leitner has played one game for Seattle after returning from a long-term Achilles injury. Versatile back Nick Taylor has also appeared just once for Seattle, while ex-Arrows flyer Avery Oitomen is currently attending Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales.