Head coach Kingsley Jones knows what鈥檚 at stake today when his Langford-based Canadian national rugby team opens World Cup qualifying for France 2023 against the U.S. in St. John鈥檚, N.L. (10:30 a.m. PT on pay site Premier Sports).
sa国际传媒 used to be a reliable second-tier rugby nation and has proved it by qualifying for every World Cup since the event began in 1987. But it only took the 20th and final berth last time out for World Cup Japan 2019 through the last-chance qualifier.
Any further slip will mean falling to the third tier, an untenable prospect nobody in Canadian rugby wants to see.
sa国际传媒 is ranked No. 22 in the world. It is 38-23-2 all-time against the U.S., but that鈥檚 ancient history. More tellingly, sa国际传媒 has not beaten the U.S. in their past 12 meetings in going 0-11-1 against the Americans dating to 2013. Nobody cares how dominant sa国际传媒 was in the rivalry in the 1930s or 1980s 鈥� it鈥檚 what have you done lately that matters.
Jones outlined several reasons for sa国际传媒鈥檚 decline in XVs but believes it can be rectified through qualifying for 2023.
鈥淭he focus on sevens [which became an Olympic sport in 2016] has been a real challenge for us,鈥� Jones said of the diverted, two-track development and funding model the emergence of sevens has meant for rugby. But it has been the same for all nations.
On the plus side have been two recent developments.
鈥淭he establishment of Major League Rugby in has provided a pro pathway for Canadian players in North America,鈥� Jones said from St. John鈥檚.
鈥淭hat, and the re-establishment of the Pacific Pride development program [U-23 in Langford], has also been huge for us in terms of progressing our younger players. You are really going to see the effects of that for the 2027 World Cup.鈥�
But that鈥檚 a long way off. Of immediate concern is 2023.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our 25-, 26- 27-year-olds who are really going to have to step up for that, beginning [today] in St. John鈥檚,鈥� said Sooke resident Jones.
While sa国际传媒 has seen its status slide in rugby, the U.S. has been rising over the past decade. But Jones doesn鈥檛 see why sa国际传媒 can鈥檛 run with the U.S., ranked world No. 16.
鈥淚 believe that a ranking of 12th in the world is real target for both nations,鈥� he said.
His charges can start proving that today.
鈥淲e will need to match the physicality of the big U.S. team,鈥� said Jones.
The clash is a two-game, total point set, so it is essentially a 160-minute game, with the tie switching to Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, for chapter two next Saturday.
sa国际传媒 will then continue World Cup qualifying Oct. 2 at Starlight Stadium in Langford against either Uruguay or Chile.
The winner of the U.S. versus sa国际传媒 total-points set will meet Uruguay at home Oct. 2 (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and in Montevideo on Oct. 9 with the winner of that set advancing to the World Cup 2023 France.
The loser of the sa国际传媒-U.S. set will face Chile on Oct. 2 at home (in sa国际传媒鈥檚 case, at Starlight Stadium) and Oct. 9 in Santiago with the loser of that eliminated and the winner staying alive and advancing to a repechage round.
