Test Match Preview – Wales vs Canada

The wait is over. Canada finally returns to the international arena on Saturday. It is not only the pandemic that has postponed and cancelled test matches – Canada’s scheduled RWC 2019 match against Namibia was called off due to the impact of Typhoon Hagibis. The visit to Cardiff marks Canada’s first test match since October 8, 2019.

Wales are the opposition, a team now distant yet once frequent foes. The teams first met at RWC 1987 in Invercargill, New Zealand, with further World Cup meetings in 2003 and 2007. Wales hold an overall 11-1 lead. The single defeat remains one of Canada’s great victories. Gareth Rees silenced the home supporters way back in 1993.

Times have changed and Wales have long since embraced professionalism while Canada is only beginning to see the fruits of Major League Rugby. A dozen players from six teams representing the North American league are included. Others might have suited up if not for injury.

Indeed the list of absentees for Canada is long and unfortunate. Some are committed to the Olympics while the majority of the European-based professionals have opted to skip the tour for various reasons. It leaves a highly inexperienced line-up with seven uncapped players in the match day squad.

Six of the forwards were part of the World Cup squad in 2019 with Lucas Rumball handed the captain’s armband in the absence of incumbent skipper Tyler Ardron. Rumball heads up an unusual back row trio with Austin lock Reegan O’Gorman selected on the blindside flank and 20-year-old Siaki Vikilani to debut at No8 despite having played less than 80 minutes for the Arrows.

Three more new caps are in the backs. Ross Braude starts ahead of Will Percillier at scrumhalf with Quinn Ngawati at inside center. Cooper Coats jumps straight from two years of playing for the Sevens side to the fullback shirt. Tyler Rowland, Don Carson, and Michael Smith are new caps waiting on the bench.

At the same time Wales are missing some big names to the British & Irish Lions, but this has not stopped the Dragons naming a highly impressive lineup. Former Lions stars Jonathan Davies and Leigh Halfpenny headline the group, the former named captain and the latter earning his 100th test cap.

The side also contains new blood. Tom Rogers and Ben Carter will make their test debuts on the left wing and lock respectively. Three further players are in line for their test bows as replacements, namely prop Gareth Thomas, back row Taine Basham, and flyhalf Ben Thomas.

Taking on the Six Nations champions even without their Lions is a daunting prospect and certainly not the type of match any team would prefer coming out of 21 months of inactivity. Add in a lack of preparation time and a severely depleted roster and it’s plain to see that Canada enter as heavy underdogs.

Kickoff is set for 3pm local time, 7am Pacific, 10am Eastern. DAZN will broadcast live in Canada.

WALES
1 Nicky Smith, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Dillon Lewis, 4 Ben Carter, 5 Will Rowlands, 6 Ross Moriarty, 7 James Botham, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 9 Tomos Williams, 10 Callum Sheedy, 11 Tom Rogers, 12 Jonathan Davies (capt.), 13 Willis Haloholo, 14 Jonah Holmes, 15 Leigh Halfpenny

Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, Gareth Thomas, 18 Leon Brown, 19 Josh Turnbull, 20 Taine Basham, 21 Kieran Hardy, 22 Ben Thomas, 23 Nick Tompkins

CANADA
1 Djustice Sears-Duru, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 3 Jake Ilnicki, 4 Conor Keys, 5 Josh Larsen, 6 Reegan O’Gorman 7 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 8 Siaki Vikilani, 9 Ross Braude, 10 Peter Nelson, 11 Kainoa Lloyd, 12 Quinn Ngawati, 13 Ben LeSage (vice-capt.), 14 Cole Davis, 15 Cooper Coats

Replacements: 16 Eric Howard, 17 Cole Keith, 18 Tyler Rowland, 19 Don Carson, 20 Michael Smith, 21 Lucas Albornoz, 22 Will Percillier, 23 Robbie Povey

Date: Saturday, July 3
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kickoff: 15:00 local (07:00 Pacific, 10:00 Eastern)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistants: Christophe Ridley (England) & Tom Foley (England)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
Broadcasts: DAZN (Canada)

HISTORICAL RESULTS
2009-05-30 – Canada 23, Wales 32 (Toronto, Canada)
2008-11-30 – Wales 34, Canada 13 (Cardiff, Wales)
2007-09-09 – Wales 42, Canada 17 (Nantes, France)
2006-11-17 – Wales 61, Canada 26 (Cardiff, Wales)
2005-06-11 – Canada 3, Wales 60 (Toronto, Canada)
2003-10-12 – Wales 41, Canada 10 (Melbourne, Australia)
2002-11-16 – Wales 32, Canada 21 (Cardiff, Wales)
1999-08-21 – Wales 33, Canada 19 (Cardiff, Wales)
1997-09-19 – Canada 25, Canada 28 (Toronto, Canada)
1994-06-11 – Canada 15, Wales 33 (Toronto, Canada)
1993-11-10 – Wales 22, Canada 24 (Cardiff, Wales)
1987-06-03 – Wales 40, Canada 9 (Invercargill, New Zealand)