Canada Claim 10th Place with 2-1 Record on Day 2: MATCH VIDEOS
Canada claimed 7 series points at home, one of their best results of the season, and the best result with all the teams attending. They claimed 10 points at the Malaga, Spain tournament but Fiji, NZ and Samoa were absent.
Canada dominated Japan, the last place team in the series, for their first win on Day 2. They battled with Scotland, who upset USA in the other 9th place quarter-final, coming away with a +4 win to earn a place in the 9th place final. They came up short against Ireland, mostly due to being outworked at the breakdown, to finish in 10th.
That result puts them at 31 series points, a point ahead of Scotland (30) and 2 points ahead of Wales (29). Japan remains at the bottom in the relegation zone with 22 points.
A point to note on age, the team is often described as a “young team” but looking at the average age across the series they’re close to other teams. Wales is lower in average age despite having a 29 year old on the team because they have players aged 18, 19 & 20. Canada’s youngest player is 21. Here is a sampling of average age at the Vancouver 7s based on 13 player roster: Canada 23.6, Wales 23.5, France 23.6, Samoa 23.8, England 23.8, Ireland 24.2, Australia 24.2.
The next tournament is in Toulouse May 20-22.
Canada 7 v Ireland 17
Anton Ngongo 13′
Canada 26 v Scotland 22
Brock Webster 3′ & 8′
Jake Thiel 8′
Alex Russell 10′
Canada 29 v Japan 5
Phil Berna 4′
Alex Russell 7′ & 8′
Jake Thiel 8′
Anton Ngongo 12′
*Canada 1-2 on Day 1: Face Japan in 9th Place Quarter-Final on Day 2: MATCH VIDEOS*
Day 1 of the sevens for Canada went as most people expected, losses to Australia and South Africa and a win against Spain. The result gives Canada a good draw on Day 2 in the 9th place quarter-final against Japan. That would be an expected win which would give Canada a 9th place semi against USA who will likely beat Scotland in their 9th place quarter-final. That will be a tough match up and give Canada a possible 11th/12th finish, or if they defeat USA a possible 9th/10th battle against Ireland or Kenya.
Canada came out strong in their first match against Australia scoring two tries in 3 minutes but then saw Australia score the next four tries. Against South Africa the lineout was a disaster as was Canada’s decision to take a lineout on every penalty. The battle against Spain was evenly matched with a late try by Brock Webster being the difference.
The one disappointment on Day 1 was perhaps the handling of the subs, the coaches don’t seem to have a lot of faith in the bench. In the Australia match, Australia bought in key subs at 9 minutes that turned the game around, Canada waited until 12 minutes for their first sub and D’Shawn Bowen didn’t get in until the last minute. Again against South Africa, South Africa brought in subs at 10 minutes, Canada waited until 13 minutes. D’Shawn Bowen, a player with immense potential, got about a minute of playing time on Day 1 over three games. Canada will have to put some urgency into developing their depth and that will require more playing time for high potential players.
The Canada v Japan match is at 9:22am.
Canada 26 v Spain 21
David Richard 1′
Elias Ergas 6′
Brennig Prevost 7′
Brock Webster 11′
Canada 14 v South Africa 19
David Richard 8′
Cooper Coats 10′
Canada 10 v Australia 26
Alex Russell 1′
Jake Thiel 3′
*Canada Name Roster for Vancouver 7s: Face Australia, South Africa and Spain on Saturday*
The Vancouver 7s kicks off tomorrow at 9am with Argentina v France. Canada take the stage at 11:37 vs Australia, at 14:26 vs South Africa and at 18:05 vs Spain.
Canada are coming off a last place finish in Singapore and are hoping the return of Jake Thiel, Nick Allen and Cooper Coats will raise the team performance in Vancouver. D’Shawn Bowen was the bright spot for Canada in Singapore, showing his potential with a highlight reel individual try against England.
Canada would likely have to beat Australia (2nd) in their first match to qualify for the quarter-finals. The match against South Africa (1st) is a step up in difficulty. Canada’s final match on the day against Spain (9th) will be the most attainable victory based on current ranking. Canada are currently ranked 13th, when Great Britain is removed from the rankings, however NZ and Samoa will rise rapidly as they’ve only played one tournament. Japan is the only country, that has played in all the tournaments, ranked below Canada.
This is the debut tournament for Sean White as assistant coach.
from Rugby Canada
With the much-anticipated HSBC Canada Sevens set to take place this weekend at BC Place, Canadas Senior Mens Sevens 13-man roster, presented by Velocity Trade, has been confirmed for the event.
Final preparations are being made ahead of the tournament with Vancouver readied to host the worlds best sevens teams, including the likes of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Fiji and the Canadians. Tickets, with limited availability in some categories, can be purchased here.
Jake Thiel, Cooper Coats and Nick Allen all make their return to Head Coach Henry Pauls roster having been absent for last weeks Singapore Sevens.
David Richard, meanwhile, is included in the squad for a second-straight week after making a successful comeback from a long-term absence in Singapore. Phil Berna will captain the side in his hometown.
The opportunity to compete against the worlds best teams in front of a passionate Canadian crowd is a thrilling prospect for this group of players, commented Paul. Having played in front of a reduced crowd in 2021, the team is excited to be back in front of a full-capacity BC Place this weekend for what is sure to be an incredible two-days of rugby sevens action.
MENS SCHEDULE / COVERAGE
For full coverage of this weekends action, visit the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series website HERE for the most up to date information, scores, stats and schedule updates.
WHERE TO WATCH
Broadcast coverage of the HSBC Sevens Series will be available in Canada via CBC. All events are available to live stream via cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app and the free CBC Gem streaming service.
CANADAS MENS SEVENS HSBC CANADA SEVENS ROSTER
1. DShawn Bowen (Toronto, ON) Pacific Pride
2. Jake Thiel (Abbotsford, BC) Abbotsford RFC
3. Nick Allen (North Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia
4. Phil Berna (Vancouver, BC) Vancouver Rowing Club
5. Alex Russell (Chichester, ENG) – McGill University
6. Anton Ngongo (Victoria, BC) Castaway Wanderers
7. Brock Webster (Uxbridge, ON) Oshawa Vikings RFC
8. Cooper Coats (Halifax, NS) Halifax Tars
9. Brennig Prevost (Victoria, BC) University of Victoria
10. Lachlan Kratz (Victoria, BC) NOLA Gold
11. Elias Ergas (Vancouver, BC) University of British Columbia
12. David Richard (Milton, ON) Mississauga Blues RFC
13. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride
UNAVAILABLE FOR SELECTION DUE TO INJURY AND/OR ILLNESS
Noah Bain
Theo Sauder
Josiah Morra
PARTICIPATING IN OTHER RUGBY COMPETITIONS
Giovani Douyon James Bay Athletic Association
Lucas Scheck Pacific Pride
NOT ROSTERED
Jarvis Dashkewytch
Thomas Isherwood
Elias Hancock