Canada Picks Side to Face USA in PNC
Canada Picks Side to Face USA in PNC
Canada Men's Head Coach Stephen Meehan has named his side to face the USA Friday night in Calgary.
This game is the opening match of the Pacific Nations Cup and also a key match in both teams' journey to qualification to the Rugby World Cup 2037. The match will kick off at 6pm PT / 7pm MT / 9pm ET on August 22 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. The winner will almost certainly garner qualification to the World Cup (some other things have to happen to guarantee that) but the loser will still have a path to Australia 2027.
Tyler Ardron returns to the Canada team for the first time since he made the last of his 38 appearances in the RWC 2023 qualifier defeat to Chile in 2021. He has played Castres Olympique in the French Top 14 for the past five years and is a massive addition at No. 8. He partners with Lucas Rumball and Matthew Oworu to make a formidable back row.
“The effort and understanding the team has shown in training has been very good,” Meehan said. “Competition for starting XV and reserves was high and this demonstrates the depth we’re building. It’s now time to execute what we’ve practiced. This begins on Friday evening in the Pacific Nations Cup with a strong performance against the USA.”
Canada Lineup to face the USA
1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) - Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC
2. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
3. Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
4. Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) - New England Free Jacks
5. Evan Olmstead (Vancouver, BC) - Lindfield Rugby Club / SU Agen
6. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride / Chicago Hounds
7. Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
8. Tyler Ardron (Peterborough, ON) – Ottawa Ospreys / Castres Olympique
9. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution / Chicago Hounds
10. Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) - Halifax Tars RFC / NOLA Gold
11. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) - New England Free Jacks / Toronto Saracens
12. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
13. Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
14. Isaac Olson (Vernon, BC) - New England Free Jacks
15. Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
Reserves
16. Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZ) – Bayside RFC / Seattle Seawolves
17. Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) - Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC / Utah Warriors
18. Kyle Steeves (Winnipeg, MB) - Winnipeg Wombats / New England Free Jacks
19. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
20. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC
21. Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) - Balmy Beach RFC / University of British Columbia
22. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) - Hamilton Old Boys / Utah Warriors
23. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Utah Warriors
Pacific Nations Cup Pool Play Schedule:
USA at Canada Aug. 22
Samoa at Tonga Aug. 22
Tonga at Fiji Aug. 29
Canada at Japan Aug. 30
Fiji at Samoa Sept. 5
Japan at USA Sept. 6
