GAME DAY: Tuesday (Oct. 16), Canada vs. U.S.A., 7:30 p.m. at Westhills Stadium. Argentina vs. Uruguay at 5:30 p.m.
If the Americas Rugby Championship is going to benefit one country more than the other three, itB次元官网网址檚 Canada.
The hosts defeated Uruguay, 28-10 on Friday, Day 1 of the three-game ARC tournament. Tournament favourites Argentina outclassed the Americans 39-3 under the pouring rain of the first game of the Friday double-header at Westhills Stadium in Langford.
For Canada, which remained 13th in the International Rugby Board rankings on Monday, the tournament schedule presents a steady climb in terms of opposition. Uruguay is ranked 21st, while TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 (Oct. 16) opponent, U.S.A., is ranked 17th, and Argentina, who Canada will face on Saturday, is ranked eighth.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 happy with FridayB次元官网网址檚 result. A win is good but there is lots to work on,B次元官网网址� said Kieran Crowley, head coach of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 senior menB次元官网网址檚 program.
B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 build any momentum. In the first half we kicked away too much ball and we didnB次元官网网址檛 build a lot of pressure,B次元官网网址� said the former New Zealand All Black. B次元官网网址淭hen in the second half we played 20 minutes down a man (due to separate 10 minute sin bins to centre Nick Blevins and No. 8 Tyler Ardron).B次元官网网址�
Down 3-0 early, Ardron, the captain, gave Canada a boost with an interception and 50-yard run back for a try. Forward Patrick Parfrey scored another try minutes later and by the 10-minute mark Connor Braid had hit a penalty conversion to make it 12-3.
The Canadians never looked back, despite a punch-up and the subsequent sin bins.
B次元官网网址淲e were pretty fired up playing at home,B次元官网网址� Braid said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool having all the friends and family here,B次元官网网址� said the 22-year-old, a James Bay Athletic Association member and a 2008 Oak Bay High graduate.
B次元官网网址淚 was a little nervous before the game. You donB次元官网网址檛 want to let anybody down, but we played a pretty decent game and good start to the tournament.B次元官网网址�
The Canadian roster is built with just a few veterans from past international squads, with injured scrum half Sean White, 24, another James Bay player and Oak Bay grad, one of two RWC 2011 veterans, along with prop Hubert Buydens of the Castaway Wanderers.
White is day-to-day with a fractured bone in his thumb, something he should be able to play with against U.S.A. on Tuesday (results of which were past press time) and Argentina on Saturday. But itB次元官网网址檚 also the type of injury that could be made worse, said Crowley.
B次元官网网址淭he thumb is something he suffered during training. We donB次元官网网址檛 want to compromise White for the upcoming November test tour, so weB次元官网网址檒l see what the doctors say.B次元官网网址�
Kyle Armstrong, an Ontario player and former member of Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 Castaway Wanderers, played just fine at scrum half but three internationals in eight days is a lot of high-impact rugby.
Quite a few changes will be made for Tuesday, with a lot of young players ready to debut.
CrowleyB次元官网网址檚 use of the team is to build towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
Weather wise, the Westhills Stadium turf held up well under FridayB次元官网网址檚 downpours, a test for one of the few artificial playing surfaces approved by IRB. The rain didnB次元官网网址檛 stop Braid from hitting three penalties and two try conversions. He estimated his longest kick, from near centre, at about 45 yards. After the match Braid stood at the sidelines signing autographs. His soaking wet arms covered not in dirt, but with smudges of the black rubber beads that lay below the green turf.
B次元官网网址淲e play in rain five months of the year, so thatB次元官网网址檚 no different, but obviously the ball wonB次元官网网址檛 kick as far. The nice thing is itB次元官网网址檚 not muddy.B次元官网网址�
B.C. Rugby Union menB次元官网网址檚 results from Saturday (Oct. 13): Meraloma RC defeated the Castaway Wanderers 20-13; UBC Old Boy Ravens defeated James Bay 22-18; Bayside defeated UVic Vikes 24-22. WomenB次元官网网址檚 results: UBC defeated UVic Vikes 10-5.
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