RUSSIA聽 43
CANADA聽 20
To be perfectly blunt, Russia is the type of national side that sa国际传媒 needs to be beating in its increasingly desperate attempt to avoid slipping even further into world rugby鈥檚 third tier.
The No. 19 Russians defeated Langford-based No. 21 sa国际传媒 43-20 in a Test match Saturday in Ottawa.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to find a way to fix it and fix it fast,鈥� said emerging Canadian No. 8 Luke Campbell of Victoria, who scored a try.
鈥淲e have no excuses for this game. We did it to ourselves,鈥� the Oak Bay High grad told reporters after the game. 鈥淲e need to get better. If we don鈥檛 get better, we won鈥檛 win. Our game plan was to keep the ball. But we were loose and couldn't keep possession.鈥�
It was sa国际传媒鈥檚 second consecutive loss of a crucial three-game summer Test series to prepare for the last-chance qualifier, in November, for the 20th and final berth into the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
The series began with a 48-10 loss to world No. 6 Scotland last weekend at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. The series concludes next Saturday against the U.S. Eagles at the Wanderers Ground in Halifax.
鈥淲e were disappointed, to be honest, on the scoreboard,鈥� said Canadian head coach Kingsley Jones, who, in a previous coaching incarnation, built up the Russian national team. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all a bit deflated, players and crowd. We disappointed the home crowd. [The fans] were fantastic, but we didn't give them enough to cheer about.
鈥淩ussia is much improved and maybe we took them a little bit lightly in the early quarters. We forced things and coughed up the ball. Russia dominated possession. It was too much for us to catch up on. And we were second best in set pieces. There鈥檚 lots to do and lots to work on.鈥�
sa国际传媒 was missing captain DTH van der Merwe and assistant captain Phil Mack, both of Victoria, and assistant captain Tyler Ardron of Peterborough, Ont. Van der Merwe and Ardron are injured and Mack had to attend to his pro club duties as captain of the Seattle SeaWolves of Major League Rugby.
But that was no excuse, said Jones. Neither is fielding a largely developmental roster mixed in with some veterans.
鈥淭here were nine changes today [from the Scotland game] and I take full responsibility for that,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got to find out about these players and give them an opportunity to see what they can bring, and you can't find out about them in training.鈥�
Looming is the upcoming Test against the rising U.S. Eagles, who ripped through Russia 62-13 last week.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have a couple of faces coming back in versus the U.S., so we鈥檒l have a little bit more experience,鈥� Jones said.
鈥淲e keep working. We鈥檙e not going to rip up the plan.鈥�
