It鈥檚 a new era for the Langford-based Canadian rugby team, looking ahead long term to the 2019 World Cup in Japan under new coach Mark Anscombe, but with the same old refrain.
An inability to maintain leads and close out tight games, a familiar issue under former coach Kieran Crowley, was again evident in an exciting 26-22 Test loss to Japan as sa国际传媒鈥檚 furious final drive crossed the goal line, but Djustice Sears-Duru was unable to touch down for victory before more than 10,000 screaming fans at sa国际传媒 Place.
World No. 18 sa国际传媒 led 12-5 and 17-13, but left 10 points on the table by missing two converts and two penalty goals. You simply cannot do that against a world top-10 team such as Japan.
It was the first Test match under Anscombe, and the first ever played at sa国际传媒 Place, following a training camp at Shawnigan Lake School.
Two thirds of the highly productive Canadian front line 鈥� World Cup veterans Jake Ilnicki and Ray Barkwill 鈥� are products of the Castaway Wanderers of Oak Bay. Sears-Duru was the other forward and named man of the match.
鈥淭here were a lot of positives to take away from the game,鈥� said Ilnicki, also a former University of Victoria Vikes stalwart from Williams Lake, now playing pro in San Diego.
As there has been in so many close losses over the last two years.
鈥淭he result was not good . . . we are setting the bar higher as we look ahead to the next few years,鈥� agreed Ilnicki, by phone after the game.
sa国际传媒 had the advantage of having a Japanese player sent off with a red card at 54 minutes.
鈥淲e scored four tries to Japan鈥檚 two, but we shot ourselves in the foot with all the penalty goals we gave away,鈥� said Ilnicki.
鈥淣ow we go back to the drawing board and regroup for next week [the Test next Saturday in Calgary against No. 19 Russia].鈥�
But sa国际传媒 at least seems to be going into Calgary with a sense of forward momentum under Anscombe, who like Crowley before him, is a Kiwi.
鈥淭here were a lot of stepping stones we crossed out there today,鈥� said Ilnicki. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still getting to know [Anscombe] but we鈥檙e all buying in.鈥�
sa国际传媒 got tries from Barkwill, Taylor Paris, Aaron Carpenter and captain Jamie Cudmore of Squamish. But Gordon McRorie was able to put through only one of his five kicks.
Yu Tamura, meanwhile, hit on four penalty kicks and two converts for Japan and that proved the difference.
鈥淎t the international level, you have to kick your goals, and we didn鈥檛. It鈥檚 tough, but that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about,鈥� Anscombe said in a statement.
The new coach, however, also found much to like: 鈥淲e created opportunities. We made some good yards. The way we finished, we kept composure and didn鈥檛 lose the ball. Those are great traits.鈥�
sa国际传媒 is 8-15-2 all-time against Japan, but without a win and just two draws in 10 games since 2005 against their tran-Pacific rivals.
After the game against Russia in Calgary, sa国际传媒 closes out the Test series against No. 14 Italy on June 26 at BMO Field in Toronto.
