The old saying associates the Irish with luck. But it鈥檚 18th-ranked sa国际传媒 that will need the most of it when it meets fifth-ranked Ireland in a rugby Test today at Aviva Park in Dublin (11 a.m., CBC).
The Test occurs one week after the Irish scored a historic first victory over the New Zealand All Blacks before a capacity crowd at Soldier Field in Chicago.
sa国际传媒 faces a real challenge today, even with an Irish lineup completely changed for their landmark victory over the Kiwis at Soldier Field.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 get to play Tier I games very often and we realize the importance of this,鈥� said Victoria-based Canadian head coach Mark Anscombe, in a conference call with Canadian media from Dublin.
鈥淚rish rugby is on a high after last weekend. This will be a different Irish squad than the one that beat the All Blacks but still you look at its calibre . . . full of quality players out to show what they are capable of doing. Aviva is a great stadium when it鈥檚 full and it will be a full house. A big crowd will be expecting them to put us away. We want to spoil their day. We have to have confidence in ourselves. We are hoping to keep it close and ask some questions of the Irish.鈥�
That may be easier asking than getting answers.
鈥淲e have to keep it simple and not overcomplicate and over-think it. [Canadian players] have big hearts,鈥� said Anscombe, who knows Irish rugby well after having coached the pro club Munster.
sa国际传媒 will field its best backfield since the 2015 World Cup, including DTH van der Merwe of Victoria and Matt Evans of Duncan. The Castaways Wanderers of Oak Bay, past and present, are well represented in the starting line-up by Ray Barkwill, Jake Ilnicki and Ciaran Hearn, the Westshore Valhallians by Kyle Baillie and James Bay by Connor Braid.
The most intriguing player dressing today, however, will be Phil Mack of James Bay in reserve. The Victoria rugby great was thought to have retired from international play following sa国际传媒鈥檚 failure to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics in sevens. But the undersized dynamo out of Oak Bay will be ready on the bench to pounce into action if needed in Dublin.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to be walking away from the game at [Mack鈥檚] age . . . so I had a coffee with him to plant a seed,鈥� said Anscombe.
鈥淭here was a little bit of arm twisting. He is only 31. It doesn鈥檛 have to be over yet.鈥�
