July 2024 Tests: Canada vs Scotland – ARN Guide

Canada play host to Scotland on Saturday in Ottawa. The match is the first mid-year test match for both teams. Canada play host to Scotland and Romania in July while Scotland will compete an historic four-match tour of the Americas. Scotland face Canada, the USA, Chile and Uruguay.

Scotland will be defending the Douglas JL Horn Memorial Cup. The trophy was introduced in 2008 and most recently on the line in Edmonton in 2018. Had it existed earlier then Canada would have held it as Canada defeat Scotland in 2002.

The teams are very different but have a commonality: striving to improve this World Cup cycle. Scotland were disappointment about being eliminated during the pool phase of Rugby World Cup 2023 while Canada are working towards Australia 2027 after elimination at the hands of Chile during the 2023 qualifiers.

A second commonality that Canada and Scotland share is Rugby World Cup 1991. he second Men’s Rugby World Cup. Saturday’s fixture in Ottawa is a match putting together two teams who made the Quarter Finals of Rugby World Cup 1991. Moreover, it is the best tournament for both with Canada reaching their only Quarter Final and Scotland reaching their only Semi Final to date.

 

NOTES

• Lucas Rumball captains Kingley Jones’ Canada. He will earn his 52nd cap.
• Dallas Jackals’ winger Nic Benn will debut for Canada. Five replacements are also in line for their first Canadian caps: Jesse Mackail, Takoda McMullin, Talon McMullin, Brock Gallagher, and James Stockwood.
• Rumball, Djustice Sears-Duru, Cole Keith, Conor Keys and Ben LeSage also faced Scotland in Edmonton in 2018.
• Gregor Townsend has gone with co-captains; flanker Luke Crosbie and center Stafford McDowell.
• Scotland starting players Matt Currie, Arron Reed, Gus Warr, Max Williamson and Gregor Brown are all uncapped.
• Replacements Robbie Smith, Nathan McBeth, Will Hurd, Ewan Johnson, Ross McCann are also uncapped. With 44 caps, replacement Matt Fagerson has the most caps of all Scotland’s 23.
• 10 of the visiting starting XV play in Scotland for Glasgow Warriors or Edinburgh.
• South African Dylan Richardson has moved from flanker to hooker.
• Ottawa is the fourth Canadian city to host Canada vs Scotland. The others are Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver.
• Canada’s 2002 win over Scotland is the most recent Canadian win against a Tier 1 opponent.
• Rugby World Cup 2023 was the first Men’s tournament without Canada; yet, Canada and Scotland have never crossed-paths in a Rugby World Cup.

PREDICTION

Canada have home advantage but Scotland are the have favorites to win. This point is clear; but, how and by how much? Factors at play will be the extent of new blood and unfamiliarity between inexperienced players on the Scottish side and the weather. The forecast is for warm weather but for rain with isolated thunderstorms. Playing in the wet more than welcome for Scotland. Furthermore, th North Americans are starting a new campaign and are low on confidence. ARN projects a Scotland win by 25+ points.

LINE-UPS

CANADA
1 Liam Murray, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 3 Conor Young, 4 Conor Keys, 5 Kyle Baillie, 6 Mason Flesch, 7 Lucas Rumball, 8 Siaki Vikilani, 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Peter Nelson, 11 Nic Benn, 12 Ben LeSage, 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Cooper Coats

Replacements: 16 Jesse Mackail, 17 Djustice Sears-Duru, 18 Cole Keith, 19 James Stockwood, 20 Siôn Parry, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Talon McMullin, 23 Takoda McMullin

SCOTLAND
1 Rory Sutherland, 2 Dylan Richardson, 3 Elliot Millar Mills, 4 Max Williamson, 5 Glen Young, 6 Gregor Brown, 7 Luke Crosbie (co.capt.), 8 Josh Bayliss, 9 Guy Warr, 10 Ross Thompson, 11 Arron Reed, 12 Stafford McDowell (co-capt.), 13 Matt Currie, 14 Jamie Dobie, 15 Harry Paterson

Replacements: 16 Robbie Smith, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Ewan Johnson, 20 Matt Fagerson, 21 Ben Healy, 22 Kyle Steyn, 23 Ross McCann

MATCH DETAILS

Date: Saturday, July 06
Venue: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa (CA)
Kickoff: 5pm (Eastern); 10pm (UK)
Weather Forecast: Rain, Thunderstorm. 24 Celsius. Wind 16 km/h
Broadcasts: TSN2

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Adam Leal (England)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA); Kat Roche (USA)
TMO: Austin Reed (USA)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (5): Scotland 4, Canada 1, STREAK Scotland +3
2018-06-14 – Canada 10-48 Scotland (Edmonton, CA)
2014-06-14 – Canada 17-19 Scotland (Toronto, CA)
2008-11-21 – Scotland 41-0 Canada (Aberdeen, UK)
2002-06-15 – Canada 26-23 Scotland (Vancouver, CA)
1995-01-21 – Scotland 22-06 Canada (Edinburgh, UK)