A Closer Look at Canada’s Squad

So a new era in Canadian rugby begins. Again. A third head coach in the span of a few months – granted François Ratier was always meant to be temporary – and a mishmash group of players. Some young, some old. The new commandant Mark Anscombe probably could have done with a few more salty veterans, but with the visitors in much the same condition, all things considered it’s not such a bad thing.

The group isn’t far off what we saw in the Americas Rugby Championship. In that respect the next three games will give Anscombe a chance to see some relatively inexperienced players take one more step up the ladder, and for some a first crack at winning a starting jersey for the longer term. For others, this might prove the last dance wearing the maple leaf.

FRONT ROW

A group very much in transition. Hubert Buydens remains but after taking a knock to the knee playing for San Diego on the weekend it would be a surprise if he started against Japan. There have been signs that the bearded one is slowing over the past couple years, and momentum is very much on the side of rising star Djustice Sears-Duru. There isn’t a great deal of depth at loosehead at the moment and in fairness Buydens has looked in good nick in the California sun, so it’s a bit early to suggest that his days are numbered. That said there’s no denying that Sears-Duru is the future and if he starts to show more of his potential over the next three weeks this could signal a changing of the guard at least in a starting capacity.

Ray Barkwill is in a similar situation at hooker. The truth is Canada just doesn’t have many players at the position jumping up and down for selection, and it’s been that way for a long time. Barkwill has fought through adversity and become a reliable combatant, and a fan favorite for his all-in disposition. He’s another who is enjoying his time in the south, but just peeking over the horizon is his Ontario understudy Eric Howard. A similar sparkplug physique and an unusual turn of pace mark him as the heir apparent – for now at least.

Tighthead is a slightly different situation. All of a sudden there are a lot of options here, but only half are available now. Jason Marshall’s body is in constant revolt and who knows when he might return. Doug Wooldridge is getting married. Andrew Tiedemann has a baby on the way. This leaves a glorious opportunity for Jake Ilnicki to put his stamp on the no3 shirt. He has been marked for success for years and 2016 finally looks to be his year. A solid ARC and an impressive start to his PRO career are good signs.

Behind him is a gargantuan prospect by the name of Matt Tierney. At 19 he is big – very big – and has already seen his first start in the Top 14 with Pau. It’s early days yet but he and Ilnicki could well be neck-and-neck for the next decade if they deliver on their promise.

The ‘other’ name in the group is the silent return of Tom Dolezel, who has recovered from a badly broken arm and with it his desire to compete for senior honors. Injuries have ravaged Big Tom’s international career and it’s a shame, particularly given his outstanding form during the Pacific Challenge in 2015. At 31 he’s at an age where it’s now or never, but his immense strength and ability to cover both sides of the scrum could keep him around the squad for a little longer yet.

SECOND ROW

Could this be the last hurrah for Jamie Cudmore? We’ve been asking that for years and still he stands. It could be that one last trip across the country, to end on a high note, will be his swansong. Thankfully there are some young players just about ready to step in.

Paul Ciulini is certainly one cut from the same cloth. Similar dimensions, a penchant for planting his shoulders on bodies, though not quite of the same statuesque physique. Cameron Pierce is the lineout specialist with a high work rate around the field. Could maybe use a few extra helpings in the meal hall but he’s got time.

For now the most likely partner for ‘Cuddles’ is Evan Olmstead. It’s anyone’s guess why he was given such a meager serving of game time at the World Cup, but his chance is now and surely he will be running out of the tunnel for at least a couple of the next three weeks.

BACK ROW

It’s fair to say that Canada’s loose forwards have not functioned on all cylinders in recent years. Constant chopping and changing and no clear strategy from the old staff meant that we never got the best out of players who were better than their performances. With Anscombe himself being a flanker in his playing days hopefully we will have a clear grasp of what is expected from the trio in June.

The selection of Kyle Baillie as a back row instead of a lock is a good sign. Having a bigger body on the blindside – most notably Jebb Sinclair – has been a better fit for Canada, and Baillie’s form in 2016 has just about demanded his selection. Similarly Lucas Rumball has done nothing but impress in his short tenure in a test jersey. He has a bit of a ‘6 1/2’ feel to him in that he’s likely best on the blindside, but could well get a run at no7 in June where his ceaseless desire to be a nuisance will be most valuable.

Here’s hoping Tyler Ardron gets a good rest this summer and approaches in the new season fully fit. In the meantime Canada can be thankful that Aaron Carpenter is still in the picture. He has left the front row behind and has been in vintage form for Cornish Pirates this season at his familiar no8. Rumball looks to be the alternative, but expect ‘Carps’ to be in the pilot seat at the scrum and maul for now.

Ontario Blues openside Alistair Clark has forced his way into the squad with his ARC form. He’s there as the classic no7 option, and also offers an impact as a reserve. Quebec’s Matt Heaton is the new name. The 23-year-old has drifted slightly out of the Canadian consciousness for a couple years having parked himself in Leeds where he has been playing for Otley, but he is versatile and dynamic. Very fit, athletic, and a fierce tackler. Look for him to get a run against Russia if he isn’t a bolter in the Japan match.

HALFBACKS

The ‘odd bunch’? Easily Canada’s biggest predicament shows no signs of stability, albeit we can expect the same starting halfback duo that ended the ARC, with Gordy McRorie expected to partner Paddy Parfrey. That’s not a bad thing. Both were in good form and now they have a chance to carry that over into a slightly bigger arena. Their kicking game, at the very least, should be more than adequate. With Underwood, Hirayama, Bowd, Jones, and Braid all out of the picture for the moment Parfrey has a real chance to put down a marker. The interesting thing is that McRorie is likely to be his backup, which stresses how thin the flyhalf resources are at the moment.

Scrumhalf is turning into a bit of a race. McRorie has the inside line but Andrew Ferguson was mightily impressive during his ARC baptism. Jamie Mackenzie is back in the picture after a brief self-imposed exile, and he too offers something different. Many would argue he was the form scrumhalf heading into the World Cup. To have all three in the picture is a good problem and in theory should bring out their best.

MIDFIELD

With Ciaran Hearn getting hooked into the 7s squad, Nick Blevins is the player with significant test experience and should be one of the first names on the team sheet. He has picked up a couple bumps and bruises with San Francisco but that shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup against Japan. The question is will he be at his preferred inside centre slot or at outside, where he has been playing in PRO? Given that the alternatives are all more comfortable at no13, it’s almost certainly no12 where we’ll find Blevins.

That leaves Mo Samson, Brock Staller, and newcomer Ben LeSage in the other spot. Possibly Jordan Wilson-Ross as well, but he looks to have been added primarily as an outside back. Samson looked good in his two ARC runs, but so did Staller when he came in, albeit largely as a fullback. LeSage is a completely different sort of player, smaller and more of a cerebral distributor. Look for the immediate choice to be between Samson and Staller for now, with the ‘loser’ to come off the bench as an impact sub.

OUTSIDE BACKS

Matt Evans, Taylor Paris, plus one. Selections aren’t tricky here with a limited palette to choose from. Evans is one of Canada’s senior players and nailed-on at fullback. Paris is a risk given that he hasn’t played a first class fixture since his injury last August, but if he’s in the squad he’ll start on the left wing.

That leaves Wilson-Ross and ARC standout Dan Moor in the mix for the right wing, though Staller is an outside bet having played wing regularly for UBC. Moor is the one most likely to get the call. He had a good ARC and will be most familiar with his probable midfielders. Wilson-Ross has returned to the group after dropping out of form for a while. He’s played all over the backline for James Bay and that makes him ideal for a role on the bench, but possibly hurts his starting chances a bit.

CONCLUSION

It’s an exciting time for Canadian fans. While there are numerous players unavailable for various reasons, there are players in this group who will be with the team through to the 2019 World Cup and beyond. The ARC ended on a high and there’s no reason to think that Canada can’t win the next three games, though it’s very far from a fait accompli. Japan are under-strength but still dangerous. Russia are there for the taking. Italy are much the same as Japan. We can all look forward to three competitive fixtures and hopefully some entertaining rugby.

FIXTURES

Sat, June 11 – vs Japan – BC Place, Vancouver – 15:00 PT, 16:00 MT, 18:00 ET – TSN 1/4
Sat, June 18 – vs Russia – Calgary Rugby Park – 14:00 PT, 15:00 MT, 17:00 ET – TSN 2
Sun, June 26 – vs Italy – BMO Field, Toronto – 09:00 PT, 10:00 MT, 12:00 ET – TSN 5

SQUAD

NAME	POS	HGT	WGT	DOB	CAPS	CLUB
Buydens, Hubert	PR	1.91 6-3	120 265	Jan 4 1982	43	San Diego (US)
Dolezel, Tom	PR	1.92 6-3	125 275	Aug 13 1984	13	London St. Georges Ontario Blues
Ilnicki, Jake	PR	1.85 6-1	119 260	Feb 24 1992	12	San Diego (US)
Sears-Duru, Djustice	PR	1.85 6-1	123 270	May 24 1994	16	Glasgow Warriors (UK)
Tierney, Matt	PR	1.90 6-3	134 295	Jul 4 1996	–	Pau (FR)
Barkwill, Ray	HO	1.75 5-9	103 225	Aug 26 1980	30	Sacramento (US)
Howard, Eric	HO	1.76 5-9	100 220	Sep 5 1993	2	Brantford Harlequins Ontario Blues
Ciulini, Paul	LO	1.95 6-5	113 250	Oct 28 1995	4	Aurora Barbarians Ontario Blues
Cudmore, Jamie	LO	1.96 6-5	118 260	Sep 6 1978	39	Clermont Auvergne (FR)
Olmstead, Evan	LO	1.98 6-6	115 255	Feb 21 1991	7	London Scottish (UK)
Pierce, Cameron	LO	2.00 6-7	108 240	Oct 26 1991	2	Pau (FR)
Baillie, Kyle	FL/LO	1.97 6-5	111 245	Apr 7 1991	3	Ohio (US)
Clark, Alistair	FL	1.84 6-0	97 215	Jul 4 1987	4	Bay Street Ontario Blues
Heaton, Matt	FL	1.90 6-3	97 215	Feb 9 1993	–	Otley (UK)
Rumball, Lucas	FL	1.90 6-3	106 235	Aug 2 1995	4	Balmy Beach Ontario Blues
Carpenter, Aaron	N8	1.83 6-0	109 240	Jan 9 1983	71	Cornish Pirates (UK)
Ferguson, Andrew	SH	1.76 5-9	88 195	May 1 1992	3	Oakville Crusaders Ontario Blues
Mackenzie, Jamie	SH	1.73 5-8	89 195	Feb 28 1989	8	UBCOB Ravens Ontario Blues
McRorie, Gordon	SH	1.76 5-9	80 175	May 12 1988	18	Calgary Hornets Prairie Wolf Pack
Parfrey, Patrick	FH	1.88 6-2	93 205	Nov 1 1991	11	Swilers Atlantic Rock
Blevins, Nick	CE	1.88 6-2	103 225	Sep 11 1988	32	San Francisco (US)
LeSage, Ben	CE	1.82 6-0	93 205	Nov 24 1995	–	UBC Thunderbirds Prairie Wolf Pack
Samson, Mozac	CE	1.85 6-1	102 225	Sep 1 1985	2	Calgary Saints Prairie Wolf Pack
Staller, Brock	CE/FB	1.88 6-2	95 210	Mar 24 1992	2	UBC Thunderbirds BC Bears
Moor, Dan	WI	1.83 6-0	98 215	Jul 24 1990	4	Balmy Beach Ontario Blues
Paris, Taylor	WI	1.85 6-1	90 200	Oct 6 1992	13	Agen (FR)
Wilson-Ross, Jordan	WI	1.75 5-9	100 220	Jan 17 1989	3	James Bay Ontario Blues
Evans, Matt	FB	1.83 6-0	89 195	Jan 2 1988	32	Cornish Pirates (UK)