The Langford-based Canadian team jumps from the fire into, well, the fire at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
That鈥檚 what it鈥檚 like when you lose 63-0 to the New Zealand All Blacks in Oita, then have five days to prepare for another legendary team in the South African Springboks at Kobe (3:15 a.m. Tuesday on TSN).
But Canadian spirits remain buoyant despite the lopsided loss to New Zealand last Wednesday. The All Blacks are, after all, the two-time defending and three-time overall World Cup champions and a team even non-rugby fans know about.
That sa国际传媒 even is playing legendary heavyweights such as the All Blacks and Springboks is a victory of a sort.
鈥淸This has been] a great experience and I hope all the Canadians are watching back home,鈥� sa国际传媒 head coach Kingsley Jones said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great message for all the young rugby players: Maybe we鈥檒l see you in 18 years time,鈥� added the former Welsh international, who lives in Sooke.
Jones is signed on for the long term and is already looking ahead to developing the next generation of Canadian players pointed to the 2023 World Cup in France. But this is still 2019, and a daunting challenge awaits against the Springboks after just five days rest.
鈥淭here are some sore bodies, but the guys fought to the end [against New Zealand] and that is all we can ask,鈥� Jones said.
Actually, it鈥檚 beyond just soreness, as evidenced by the calls back home for reinforcements from Langford.
It鈥檚 hurry and wait at Westhills Stadium for the Canadian reserves who are training and watching the World Cup from across the Pacific.
The call, however, has come for three of them as injuries pile up in the Canadian camp.
The latest player rushed from Langford to Japan was Kainoa Lloyd, after Taylor Paris was ruled out and sent home with concussion symptoms following the New Zealand game.
That is after Shawnigan Lake School and University of Victoria Vikes product Guiseppe du Toit and Theo Sauder, from the University of British Columbia, were flown from YYJ to Japan last week to join the Canadian team after injuries to Nick Blevins and Ben LaSage in the 48-7 opening loss to Italy knocked them out for the rest of the competition.
It鈥檚 the age of attrition as the players in modern rugby get bigger and the tackling and point of contact more jarring and brutal. Teams without depth will not fare well.
Not that sa国际传媒 has in this World Cup. With the chances of an upset against two-time champion South Africa remote 鈥� even with cagey veteran Phil Mack of Victoria set to start at scrum-half Tuesday 鈥� sa国际传媒 must target its final pool game for a chance at victory.
That comes on Oct. 13 against minnows Namibia at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium in Iwate prefecture.
It promises to be a unique occasion on several levels in a rugby-mad small town that was flattened by the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and has since been rebuilt.
Victoria鈥檚 sister city Morioka is the capital of Iwate, and there are Canadian-themed events planned by the local organizing committee leading up to the game because of the connection.
SEVENS NOTES: The Canadian women鈥檚 sevens team kicked off the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games year on Saturday at the USA Sevens in Glendale, Colorado, the first World Series tournament of the season.
The 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medallist Canadians opened with 31-7 and 19-14 wins over Fiji and Spain before tying defending Olympic champion Australia 26-26 on a last-play try by Charity Williams. sa国际传媒 advanced to today鈥檚 quarter-final round on the championship side.
Both the Langford-based Canadian women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 sevens teams have qualified for Tokyo. Placings in the 2019-20 World Series will determine seedings for the Olympics.
鈥淭he Olympic year is always a big buzz,鈥� Canadian women鈥檚 captain Ghislaine Landry said.
鈥淲e are thinking about it but, at the same time, it鈥檚 this weekend we really have to focus on.鈥�
