Team Tomorrow was Team Terrific to begin the qualifying process for the 2019 Junior World Trophy of rugby.
sa国际传媒 defeated the U.S. 44-33 on Tuesday at Shawnigan Lake School in the first leg of the two-game, aggregate-score North American qualifier. sa国际传媒 takes the 11-point lead into the second game today at 5 p.m. also at Shawnigan Lake School. The winner of the qualifying set will advance to the Junior World Trophy competition this summer in Brazil.
The Canadian roster features several of the potential future senior national team players. Chief among them is former St. Michael鈥檚 University School captain and sa国际传媒 high school champion Quinn Ngawati, who began his career as a pro in rugby league by signing with the Toronto Wolfpack, before making a return to rugby union. Ngawati scored two tries in the first game for sa国际传媒.
Another player to watch for is the scrum-half of the future Will Percillier, who also scored two tries for sa国际传媒 in the opening game. Percillier has already been capped with the Canadian senior national team and has signed a pro contract with big-time French club Stade Francais. He was born in France but is Canadian on his mother鈥檚 side. The family has lived around the world, including Hong Kong and Singapore. Percillier starred in high school rugby for Brentwood College in Mill Bay, but now is quite at home with the national side on the pitch of former arch-rival Shawnigan Lake School.
鈥淭hose are good players with a bright future in the game, as do quite a few guys on this team,鈥� said Canadian U-20 head coach Jeff Williams.
鈥淸Ngawati and Percillier] have so much confidence and so much joy for the game and enthusiasm and leadership.鈥�
Canadian fullback Avery Oitoman has also already begun his pro career for Toronto Arrows of Major League Rugby.
The Canadian roster also includes a triple-threat of Carson cousins out of the powerhouse Oak Bay High School Barbs program. Nick Carson was the 2018-19 University of Victoria Vikes rookie athlete of the year while Frank and David Carson play for the UBC Thunderbirds.
Also on the Canadian roster are Jarvis Dashkewytch of the UVic Vikes, Reid Davis, J.T. Boehme and Mason Flesch of James Bay Athletic Association and Thomas Isherwood of Westshore RFC.
Coaches in most sports like more of a controlled, buttoned-down process and do not like wild-scoring games. Williams was no different, following the first leg.
鈥淭he high-scoring game was exciting for fans but a concern for coaches,鈥� said the Canadian bench boss.
鈥淲e have a long way to go to finish this off. Traditionally, the U.S. is better in the second game of the two-game qualifier. We have to hold onto the ball and put them under pressure.鈥�
A Canadian victory over the U.S. at the U-20 level would provide welcome relief, and a much-needed sign of hope for the future, for a Canadian rugby program that has fallen far behind the U.S. at the senior national-team level.
