Canada names traveling squad for Spain tour

Canada has selected a final traveling squad of 32 players for their upcoming tour of Spain. November 11 will see the team squaring off against their hosts, with a second match on November 18 against either Brazil or the USA. Both will be played in the coastal town of Villajoyosa.

Five uncapped players make the trip. Dewald Kotze is set to debut, one of two specialist hookers included with the versatile Foster DeWitt a third option. Welsh-based duo Zephyr Melnyk and Jamin Hodgkins get the call, as do Seattle scrumhalf Reid Watkins and Arrows outside back Ciaran Breen.

Senior trio Tyler Rowland, Kyle Baillie, and Andrew Coe return to the side after missing out on the tour to Tonga. Also back in the frame are Canada Sevens squad members Matthew Oworu, Josh Thiel, and Josiah Morra. The trio will not be traveling to Santiago for the Pan Am Games.

Notably absent is first choice scrumhalf Ross Braude for reasons not included in the media release. There remains no sign of any of Canada’s France-based professionals, among them Castres pair Matt Tierney and Tyler Ardron and uncapped Montpellier lock Tyler Duguid.

An additional list of 12 non-traveling reserves was named. Two players who were not part of the initial longlist have been added – Pacific Pride lock Reid Davis and UBC Thunderbirds scrumhalf Jacob Bourne. Both have represented Canada at age-grade level but are yet to make their senior debuts.

 

LH PROP
Foster DeWitt (New England Free Jacks) 3 caps
Liam Murray (Dallas Jackals) 6 caps
Djustice Sears-Duru (San Diego Legion) 66 caps

HOOKER
Dewald Kotze (Dallas Jackals) uncapped
Andrew Quattrin (New England Free Jacks) 18 caps

TH PROP
Cole Keith (New England Free Jacks) 27 caps
Tyler Rowland (Toronto Arrows) 9 caps
Conor Young (New England Free Jacks) 3 caps

SECOND ROW
Kyle Baillie (Old Glory DC) 35 caps
Mason Flesch (Toronto Arrows) 4 caps
Izzak Kelly (UBC Thunderbirds) 2 caps
Conor Keys (New England Free Jacks) 31 caps

BACK ROW
Matt Klimchuk (Pacific Pride) 1 cap
Zephyr Melnyk (Beddau, UK) uncapped
Matthew Oworu (Canada Sevens) 2 caps
Lucas Rumball (Toronto Arrows) 49 caps
Siaki Vikilani (American Raptors) 11 caps
Piers von Dadelszen (Oxford University, UK) 4 caps

SCRUMHALF
Jason Higgins (San Diego Legion) 11 caps
Reid Watkins (Seattle Seawolves) uncapped

FLYHALF
Jamin Hodgkins (Glamorgan Wanderers, UK) uncapped
Peter Nelson (Toronto Arrows) 17 caps
Robbie Povey (Toronto Arrows) 15 caps

MIDFIELD
Gabe Casey (New England Free Jacks) 1 cap
Ben LeSage (New England Free Jacks) 28 caps
Mitch Richardson (Toronto Arrows) 2 caps
Josh Thiel (Canada Sevens) 3 caps

OUTSIDE BACKS
Ciaran Breen (Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Andrew Coe (New York Ironworkers) 16 caps
Kainoa Lloyd (Houston SaberCats) 23 caps
Josiah Morra (Canada Sevens) 2 caps
Isaac Olson (New England Free Jacks) 3 caps

 

NON-TRAVELING RESERVES
Emerson Prior (LH, Utah Warriors) uncapped
Tyler Wong (HO, Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Kyle Steeves (TH, Dallas Jackals) 1 cap
Reid Davis (LO, Pacific Pride) uncapped
Callum Botchar (FL, New Plymouth Old Boys, NZ) 1 cap
Jake Thiel (N8, Canada Sevens) uncapped
Jacob Bourne (SH, UBC Thunderbirds) uncapped
Liam Bowman (CE, Toronto Arrows) uncapped
Noah Bain (WI, Spotswood United, NZ) uncapped
D’Shawn Bowen (WI, Toronto Arrows) uncapped
David Richard (WI, Canada Sevens) 3 caps
Jack Shaw (WI, Los Angeles) uncapped