Canada Name Match 23 for Opening Game Against Namibia on Friday
Coach Christiaan Esterhuizen has named his match 23 to take on Namibia. It’s interesting to note that two key positions, openside flanker and #10, are players under Jamie Cudmore’s tutelage at Nissa Rugby. We wrote up that article on Eliot Marschall and Joe Kaufman in January of this year. The front row all have BC Premier experience Jacob Blackwood (UBC), Porter Gook (Westshore) and Eric Rutledge (JBAA). Seb Poyser who is captaining the side was part of the U20 team last year and a starting second row. His second row partner, Carter Nickless, is from Kirkland, Quebec, through John Abbott CEGEP and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC, representing Quebec provincial age-grade sides. Blindside flanker Coen Quinn is from Queen’s University, #8 Liam Kinghorn another BC Premier player with UBC.
In the backs scrum half Rogan Moir played with the Pacific Pride last season, from Waterloo, Ontario. In the centres Adam Stander from Oakville Crusaders and at Queen’s University, and Liam Turnbull with UBC in the BC Premier. In the back three are Malin Hazl from Guelph and the University of Guelph, Briar Barron from the Aurora Barbarians and Queen’s University, and Cooper Allen from Thornbury, Ontario and Trent University.
In the reserves front row, Ethan Samuels (UBC), Alistair Yeomans (Guelph), Ben Koolen from Kingston, Ontario in the UK with Hartpury University. Reserve lock/loose forward Ronin Smith from UVic with BC Premier experience. Cole Thompson, loose forward, from Toronto Scottish and listed as Babson College which appears to be a NCAA school in the Boston area. It looks like a 5/3 bench with Koen Schroeder a utility back from Brock University, Luke Prest who can play anywhere from scrum half to back three, he’s a local boy from Cowichan, and Brek Ball who is from West Vancouver, went to Collingwood School and is now at Western University.
The game kicks off at 9am PT and can be viewed on rugbypass.tv
Canada U20 roster
1. Jacob Blackwood
2. Porter Gook
3. Eric Rutledge
4. (C) Seb Poyser
5. Carter Nickless
6. Coen Quinn
7. Eliot Marschall
8. Liam Kinghorn
9. Rogan Moir
10. Joe Kaufmann
11. Malin Hazl
12. Adam Stander
13. Liam Turnbull
14. Briar Barron
15. Cooper Allen
Finishers
16. Ben Koolen
17. Alistair Yeomans
18. Ethan Samuels
19. Ronin Smith
20. Cole Thompson
21. Koen Schroeder
22. Luke Prest
23. Brek Ball