It will be a demarcation point, representing either a return to normalcy for sa国际传媒 into the second-tier of rugby-playing nations, or a further erosion into the third-tier and basically rugby irrelevancy.
sa国际传媒 and the U.S. are tied 28-28 following last week鈥檚 first leg of the North American qualifier for the 2019 World Cup in Japan. That game was at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, with the TSN3-broadcast decider to be played Saturday at 3 p.m. PT at Torero Stadium on the University of San Diego campus.
The U.S. is ranked No. 17 in the world. sa国际传媒 has slipped precipitously from No. 12 in 2011, and a reputation as a stalwart leading light among the second-tier nations, to now No. 23. sa国际传媒 is ranked behind Germany and Spain. That would be normal in soccer, of course, but this is rugby. That would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
鈥淩ugby is developing and growing around the world and we have challenges in sa国际传媒, but we don鈥檛 see ourselves [in terms of tiers],鈥� said Victoria-based Canadian head coach Mark Anscombe, a native of New Zealand.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 think about that. Our whole focus is on this game, not which tier we are recognized as being in. We want to qualify for the World Cup,鈥� added Anscombe, in a phone interview Thursday from San Diego.
鈥淭he attitude of the boys is one of sticking together . . . they have hung in there as a group. Everything has been focused on these two [World Cup qualifying] games. They know the importance of this.鈥�
sa国际传媒 is 38-17-2 all-time against the U.S. and holds a 15-4-1 edge in World Cup qualifying matches. It is recent form, however, that matters most in sports and sa国际传媒 has not won its last six Test matches against the rising Americans and has not beaten the U.S. since 2013, when it swept the last World Cup qualifier for 2015.
鈥淲e want to put our foot down Saturday and get our program back on track,鈥� said Connor Braid of Victoria, who will start in the centres for sa国际传媒.
There is a back-door route for the loser of this sa国际传媒-U.S. series, but that involves going through South America for a wildcard berth into the World Cup. sa国际传媒, which has qualified for every World Cup through the front door, has never had to go through that consolation door. And it may not even do that. There is no guarantee sa国际传媒 is a lock anymore to beat the likes of Uruguay, Chile or Brazil.
There is only one Canadian roster change from the first game. Starting scrum-half Phil Mack of Victoria has been called away because of a family matter so the Oak Bay High and UVic Vikes grad will be replaced by Scottish-born Calgary resident Gordon McRorie.
Braid will start at inside centre and fellow JBAA-product and all-time Canadian Test trys leader DTH van der Merwe at outside centre.
鈥淢y job is to clear up space for DTH,鈥� said Braid.
Former University of Victoria Vikes star and now Cornish Pirates pro, Brett Beukeboom, will co-captain sa国际传媒 with Van der Merwe. The Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay will be well represented with current and former players Ray Barkwill, Jake Ilnicki and Ciaran Hearn starting for sa国际传媒, as will former Cowichan and JBAA stalwart Aaron Carpenter.
鈥淲e controlled the majority of the first game . . . we have to capitalize on that pressure and turn it into points,鈥� said Anscombe.
