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An inspired performance from Canada saw them take a stunning 34-21 win over the USA in St. John’s on Saturday afternoon. Absent several of their top players in Europe, the home side scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to take a commanding 13-point lead into the second leg of their World Cup Qualifying series next weekend.
It was an ominous start for the Canadian forwards as the Eagles lineout exerted their dominance. A first driving maul earned a penalty, a second collapse was awarded a penalty try. Matt Heaton was the guilty party singled out for a yellow card as the USA took a 7-nil lead.
Despite being shorthanded Canada struck back immediately. From an attacking lineout they moved the ball quickly in attack with Andrew Quattrin making ground. Corey Thomas was next to offer himself up and the second row charged between two arm-tackles to score, with Peter Nelson’s conversion drawing the scores level.
Heaton returned and immediately contributed two strong carries into traffic. Will Magie was pinged for a high tackle and with the wind behind him Nelson pointed at the posts. There was no mistake from the flyhalf as Canada took a 10-7 lead.
Trouble for the Canadians came as Conor Keys went too high on Luke Carty, which earned the big lock a 10-minute break on the sidelines. The Eagles could not take advantage however, with their lineout drive held up and yielding a goal-line dropout that Canada used to clear.
The USA would get their score just before halftime. A set move came off the top from the lineout to Hanco Germishuys, the hard-charging flanker too strong for the defense to handle. Luke Carty tacked on the extras. Celebrations were muted as Cam Dolan left the field moments later for a head injury assessment, from which he would not return.
AJ MacGinty entered the game at halftime but it was the Canadians who grabbed the momentum. A mistake gave away possession and the Eagles were forced back to their tryline with captain Lucas Rumball crashing over to grab the lead back for his team.
Without Dolan’s leadership the USA lineout began to falter and an overthrow nearly saw Heaton score from halfway. The ball was recycled and Ross Braude found his Toronto Arrows clubmate Ben LeSage with a flat ball that put the midfielder over beside the post. Nelson’s third successful conversion made it a 10-point game with a half-hour to play.
With the momentum now firmly in their favor Canada earned another penalty and Nelson duly obliged. At the other end the USA won a scrum penalty but instead of pressing at the set piece, they opted to spin it wide and MacGinty’s wayward pass was picked off by Brock Webster. The debutante showed the defense a clean pair of heels on a 90-meter sprint to score, Nelson’s kick making it a sensational 20-point lead for the home team.
Nothing seemed to be going to the USA’s way until the last moments of the match. Again the lineout was a mess but they retained possession and phase play yielded a try under the posts for Tavite Lopeti in his first test appearance. MacGinty landed the conversion to reduce the gap as his team stood reeling from a torrid second half that leaves them in rocky condition as they trudge back to Colorado.
The victory is Canada’s first over the USA since 2013, when the Canucks would take both legs of the North American qualifier. It will now take a concerted effort from the Eagles to salvage the series at Infinity Park next Saturday with a place in the Americas 1 qualifier for Rugby World Cup 2023 on the line.
SCORING
CANADA 34
Tries – C. Thomas (6′), L. Rumball (42′), LeSage (51′), B. Webster (68′)
Cons – P. Nelson 4/4 (7′, 43′, 52′, 69′)
Pens – P. Nelson 2/3 (19′, 63′)
Yellow cards – M. Heaton (3′), C. Keys (20′)
USA 21
Tries – Penalty try (3′), H. Germishuys (35′), T. Lopeti (80’+1′)
Cons – No kick (3′), L. Carty 1/1 (36′), A. MacGinty 1/1 (80’+2′)
TEAMS
CANADA
1 Djustice Sears-Duru (17 Cole Keith 62′), 2 Andrew Quattrin (16 Eric Howard 46′), 3 Matt Tierney (18 Tyler Rowland 62′), 4 Corey Thomas, 5 Conor Keys, 6 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 7 Matt Heaton, 8 Siaki Vikilani (19 Mason Flesch 69′), 9 Ross Braude (22 Jason Higgins 69′), 10 Peter Nelson, 11 Kainoa Lloyd, 12 Spencer Jones, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 Brock Webster, 15 Cooper Coats (23 Patrick Parfrey 69′)
Not used: 20 Michael Smith, 21 Robbie Povey
USA
1 Chance Wenglewski (17 David Ainu’u 49′), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (16 Kapeli Pifeleti 49′), 3 Paul Mullen (18 Joe Taufete’e 69′), 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Nick Civetta (19 Siaosi Mahoni 69′), 6 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Cam Dolan (20 Andrew Guerra 37′), 9 Ruben de Haas, 10 Will Magie (23 AJ MacGinty HT), 11 Mika Kruse (21 Nate Augspurger 34′ {22 Tavite Lopeti 55′-62′}), 12 Bryce Campbell (capt.), 13 Marcel Brache, 14 Christian Dyer, 15 Luke Carty (22 Tavite Lopeti 74′)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistants: Moe Chaudhry (Canada) & Robin Kaluzniak (Canada)
TMO: Chris Assmus (Canada)
