Why mess with what works?
Welsh-transplant Kingsley Jones of Sooke, head coach of the Langford-based Canadian rugby team, certainly isn鈥檛 about to. He will make only one change today from the roster that defeated the U.S. 34-21 last weekend in the opening match of the two-game, total-point 2023 World Cup France qualifying set in St. John鈥檚, N.L.
The vibe and setting may have changed dramatically, from folksy Newfoundland to suburban Denver, for the second game this evening at 6 PT at Infinity Stadium in Glendale, Colorado. But not the Canadian roster, which last weekend delivered world No. 22 sa国际传媒鈥檚 first victory against the No. 16 U.S. since 2013 in a 0-11-1 drought. The only re-jigging to the Canadian lineup involves veteran Kyle Baillie returning from injury to replace Mason Flesch.
鈥淲e know it鈥檚 going to be a different challenge this week, a big challenge,鈥� said Jones.
鈥淲e are fortunate to be able to choose the same starting 15, that have again earned this selection, while we鈥檙e happy to have Kyle [Baillie] fit to add to our reserve strength.鈥�
Jones called for 颅鈥渉umility鈥� despite sa国际传媒鈥檚 13-point advantage heading into tonight鈥檚 decider. As well he might. Everybody in Canadian rugby remembers the previous second game of the last World Cup qualifier in 2017 between sa国际传媒 and the U.S. for Japan 2019. That set opened with a 28-28 draw at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont. But the second game was a catastrophe for sa国际传媒 as the Americans ran through, over and around the gobsmacked Canadians in a 52-16 trouncing in San Diego, leaving sa国际传媒 to qualify for the 2019 World Cup the hard way through a much longer backdoor route.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got a 13-point lead at the moment and 80 minutes to play. But we know [the second game] is going to be a different challenge, a big challenge,鈥� said Jones.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a challenge 颅playing these back-to-backs.鈥�
It remains to be seen if a late U.S. try in injury time at 82 minutes in St. John鈥檚 will come back to haunt sa国际传媒 today in 颅Colorado.
sa国际传媒 is 39-23-2 all-time against the U.S. but the Americans have been the dominant team recently in going 11-1-1 in their last 13 games against the Canadians.
sa国际传媒 will continue World Cup qualifying Oct. 2 at Starlight Stadium in Langford against either Uruguay or Chile.
The winner of the U.S. versus sa国际传媒 total-points set will meet Uruguay at home Oct. 2 (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and in Montevideo on Oct. 9 with the winner of that set advancing to the 2023 World Cup. The loser of the sa国际传媒-U.S. set will face Chile on Oct. 2 at home (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and Oct. 9 in Santiago with the loser of that eliminated and the winner staying alive and advancing to a repechage round.
sa国际传媒 is trying to keep alive its streak, which it did by the barest of margins in 2019, of having qualified for each of the nine previous World Cups.
