As a younger player, Lucas 颅Rumball learned from his 颅sa国际传媒 captains that you 颅sometimes lead by just getting out of the way.
sa国际传媒鈥檚 roster was announced Thursday, with Rumball named captain, for the crucial 2023 World Cup France qualifying game against Chile on Saturday at Starlight Stadium
The loser of the two-game, total point set 鈥� the second game is next week in Valparaiso, Chile 鈥� will be eliminated. The winner of sa国际传媒-Chile will advance to play the loser of a set between the U.S. and Uruguay. The winner of U.S.-Uruguay will clinch a World Cup berth.
You don鈥檛 have to tell the Canadian players the stakes as Langford-based sa国际传媒 looks to keep alive its streak of 颅having qualified for all World Cups since the event鈥檚 inception in 1987.
鈥淭his is an easy group to lead. They all are driven. They all want to succeed and they all want what鈥檚 best for rugby in sa国际传媒,鈥� said Rumball.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 not hard get this group of guys around a common goal.鈥�
Rumball listed Phil Mack of Victoria and Tyler Ardron as the two most influential sa国际传媒 颅captains he played under.
鈥淭here鈥檚 things you can let slip and things you can鈥檛 as captain,鈥� said Rumball, 26, who earned his first of 35 caps in 2016.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about knowing when and where to nip things in the bud and when it鈥檚 time to back off and give the boys some space. Tyler and Phil were great at 颅demonstrating that and leading by example. They are great guys to follow.鈥�
The two-game, total-point 颅system means piling up the tries. There is no mercy rule in this format.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about never letting the foot off the gas, to be honest,鈥� said Rumball, a veteran of the 2019 World Cup in Japan and pro player in Major League Rugby with the Toronto Arrows.
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 the third minute or the 70th minute, you have to keep pushing and keep going because it鈥檚 two games and 160 minutes to decide the outcome. So taking your foot off is not an option. You have to keep going no matter the time on the clock.鈥�
That was evident in the first round as sa国际传媒 opened 2023 World Cup qualifying with a 34-21 victory over the U.S. in St. John鈥檚, N.L., only to lose the second game 38-16 in Glendale, Colorado, and the set 59-50 on aggregate score.
World No. 21 sa国际传媒 is 颅banking on a home-crowd lift in the first game Saturday against No. 28 Chile.
鈥淭he St. John鈥檚 crowd was unbelievable and those people on the East Coast were 颅fantastic, so hopefully, the West Coast can live up to that reputation and push it even further,鈥� said 颅Rumball.
鈥淭he home crowd is huge. That year off really makes you appreciate what it is to play at home and we鈥檙e looking forward to it Saturday.鈥�
Being eliminated two years out from the World Cup is almost unthinkable.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a pivotal series and two big games. We have to start right at home and continue the improvements we have been making the past few months,鈥� said Rumball.
鈥淲e had really good weeks of training here. So it鈥檚 just continuing that into Saturday. The keys will be our speed, execution, skills and set pieces. We have to keep hammering down and getting better at those things.鈥�
Continuing on in the World Cup quest depends on it.
