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Canada team to play USA in Pacific Nations Cup clash

By Ben Smith
Canada's Mason Flesch takes a lineout against Japan. (Source/World Rugby)

Head Coach Kingsley Jones has named the Canada team to take on USA at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles as they look to rebound after an opening round loss to Japan.

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Canada are looking to keep their Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup title hopes alive with a bounce back win to help with seeding heading into the finals series in Japan.

A crucial bonus point secured in last week’s loss to Japan may prove pivotal, as they were able to log four tries thanks to a second half resurgence.

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Fixture
Pacific Nations Cup
USA
28 - 15
Full-time
Canada
All Stats and Data

The starting forward pack this week is unchanged, with captain Lucas Rumball once again leading the side from the back of the scrum at No 8.

There is just two tweaks to the backline with last week’s right winger Andrew Coe moving to fullback, while Takoda McMullin starts in the No 14 jersey. Last week’s starting fullback Cooper Coats drops to the bench in the 23 jersey.

Pacific Nations Cup

Pool A
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Fiji
1
1
0
0
5
2
Tonga
0
0
0
0
0
3
Samoa
1
0
1
0
0
Pool B
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Japan
1
1
0
0
5
2
Canada
1
0
1
0
1
3
USA
0
0
0
0
0

“We’ve spoken a lot about how we need and want to start our matches better,” said Head Coach Kingsley Jones.

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“Saturday’s match against the United States is not just another opportunity for us to measure ourselves against a good team, but an important contest that will dictate our position heading into the play-offs in Japan.

“This type of high stakes match will be good preparation for next year, when we will face the United States in the Pacific Nations Cup in a match that will help determine direct Rugby World Cup qualification.”

Canada men’s team to play United States:

1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Earl Marriott Secondary / Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Old Glory DC
2. Andrew Quattrin (Holland Landing, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / New England Free Jacks
3. Conor Young (Yamba , AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
4. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / University of British Columbia / Cottesloe Rugby Club
5. Kaden Duguid (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Vancouver Highlanders
6. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons RFC / Chicago Hounds
7. Ethan Fryer (Issaquah, USA) – New England Free Jacks
8. Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
9. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Chicago Hounds
10. Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
11. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Dallas Jackals
12. Talon McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders
13. Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks
14. Takoda McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia / Vancouver Highlanders
15. Andrew Coe (Markham, ON) – RFC LA

FINISHERS

16. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
17. Djustice Sears-Duru (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / San Diego Legion
18. Cole Keith (Apohaqui, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
19. James Stockwood (Bowmanville, ON) – Vikings RFC / Pacific Pride
20. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
21. Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Dallas Jackals
22. Mark Balaski ( Castlebar, IRE) – Castlebar RFC / Pacific Pride
23. Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) – Halifax Tars

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N
Nickers 14 minutes ago
Why the All Blacks overlooking Joe Schmidt could yet hurt them in the Bledisloe battle

I've never understood why Razor stayed on in NZ after winning 3 SR titles in a row. Surely at that point it's time to look for the next thing, which at that stage of his career should not have been the ABs, and arguably still shouldn't be given his lack of experience in International rugby. What was gained by staying on at the Crusaders to win 4 more titles?


2 years in the premiership, 2 years as an assistant international coach, then 4 years taking a team through a WC cycle would have given him what he needed to be the best ABs coach. As it is he is learning on the job, and his inexperience shows even more when he surrounds himself with assistant coaches who have no top international experience either.


He is being faced with extreme adversity and pressure now, possibly for the first time in his coaching career. Maybe he will come through well and maybe he won't, but the point is the coaching selection process is so flawed that he is doing it for the first time while in arguably the top coaching job in world rugby. It's like your first job out of university being the CEO of Microsoft or Google.


There was talk of him going to England if the ABs didn't get him, that would have been perfect in my opinion. That is a super high pressure environment and NZR would have been way better off letting him learn the trade with someone else's team. I predicted when Razor was appointed that he would be axed or resign after 2 years then go on to have a lot of success in his next appointment. I hope that doesn't happen because it will mean a lot of turmoil for the ABs, but it's not unthinkable. Many of his moves so far look exactly like the early days of Foster's era when he too was flanked by coaches who were not up to the job. I would like to see some combination of Cotter, Joseph, Brown, and Felix Jones come into the set up.

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