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What happened in men鈥檚 soccer, where the United States vastly surpassed sa国际传媒, and in men鈥檚 hockey, where the Americans pulled up to at least comparable with sa国际传媒, appears also to be happening in rugby.
Langford-based sa国际传媒 lost its third consecutive Test match to the Americans, dropping a 41-23 decision Saturday in Ottawa.
The XVs streak is compounded by the U.S. victory over sa国际传媒 this summer in men鈥檚 sevens that qualified the Americans for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games.
sa国际传媒 was within hailing distance Saturday at 20-16 and attacking toward the U.S. goalline with 14 minutes remaining when Phil Mack of Victoria was whistled to the sin bin.
That proved costly as the Americans took advantage and scored three tries.
鈥淚n the second half, we got back into it, kept the ball, put some phases together. But the sin bin hurt us again,鈥� sa国际传媒鈥檚 head coach, Kieran Crowley of Mill Bay, said in a statement through Rugby sa国际传媒.
鈥淲e鈥檙e giving up too many penalties, too much stupidity around that area, and too many turnovers. It just wasn鈥檛 good enough.鈥�
It was sa国际传媒鈥檚 fifth consecutive Test loss of the summer after going 0-4 in the recent Pacific Nations Cup.
Nathan Hirayama, from the University of Victoria Vikes, started at fly-half Saturday and kicked a conversion and drop goal.
Cornish Pirates pro Aaron Carpenter scored a try and captained sa国际传媒, with Tyler Ardron out due to injury.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hurting a little bit right now,鈥� Carpenter said in a statement.
鈥淓very loss, we take on the chin. We know we have to do better. We have to look inside at ourselves and ask what we can do more. It鈥檚 just not good enough right now.鈥�
Players from Island clubs involved on Saturday were Hirayama and Mack, Hubert Buydens, Nanyak Dala and Ciaran Hearn from Castaway Wanderers, John Moonlight from James Bay and Matt Evans from Duncan.
Ottawa was the final pre-2015 World Cup Test match at home. sa国际传媒 has a non-Test next Saturday in Halifax against club side Glasgow Warriors in what is dubbed the Battle of New Scotland.
That is followed by pre-World Cup Tests against Georgia on Sept. 2 in Esher, England, and against Fiji on Sept. 6 at The Stoop in London.
sa国际传媒鈥檚 World Cup opener is against No. 2 Ireland on Sept. 19 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The other Group D matches for No. 18 sa国际传媒 are Sept. 26 against Italy in Leeds, Oct. 1 versus France in Milton Keynes and Oct. 6 against Romania in Leicester.
sa国际传媒 began its 2015 World Cup lead-up with a training camp in July at Shawnigan Lake School.
SCRUM NOTES: With a Pacific focus to the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand, the Canadian team send-off dinner was held in Victoria. With a cross-Atlantic trek for the 2015 World Cup, the send-off affair is taking place on Tuesday at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.
