URUGUAY 38
CANADA 29
It was the Langford Lag after taking a 17-7 lead.
The Westshore-based Canadian men’s rugby team, as a result, is going to require a Montevideo Miracle.
Uruguay rallied to stun Canada 38-29 before 16,132 fans at B.C. Place on Saturday in the opener of the two-game, total point Americas qualifier for the 2019 World Cup in Japan. The second game is next Saturday in Uruguay’s capital.
The situation looks dire. Canada has regressed in men’s rugby while the rest of the world has pressed ahead, as yet another country Canada used to handily beat, appears to have surpassed this nation.
Canada is 8-3 all-time against Uruguay. But, tellingly, Uruguay has won the last two meetings.
“We’ve got to be better. We have to win by 10 points next week,” said Canadian head coach Kingsley Jones, in laying bare the grim details of what needs to be done in the hostile confines of a South American setting.
“Can Canada win by 10 points away from home? We haven't done it in a while. But we need to go and do it.”
Canada had advantages through large swaths of the game at B.C. Place in terms of ball control, but could not convert that into points against the far more opportunistic Uruguayans.
“There were positives to build on — and a lot of disappointment, as well,” said Jones, the Island-based Welshman.
“It’s about game management. We had a lot of opportunities, which, at this level, you’ve got to take. We weren’t clinical enough. Uruguay took their chances very well.”
There was plenty of Island content in the key contest. Canada’s starting frontline of Hubert Buydens, Ray Barkwill and Jake Ilnicki all spent considerable time at Windsor Park playing for Castaway Wanderers. The second line featured Josh Larsen of Parksville and former University of Victoria Vikes star Brett Beukeboom. The starters from nine through 11 — Oak Bay High grads Phil Mack and Connor Braid along with DTH van der Merwe — are out of the James Bay Athletic Association.
Braid made a costly fumble off the opening kick-off, accounting for the first Uruguay try, and giving the South Americans the much-needed confidence boost they needed.
“To give away a try at the beginning is not what you want at home in a big game like that,” said Jones.
“You give them a sniff. The Uruguayans were very well drilled and came out to do a job. And they did a job.”
Braid soon found his form and the Islander was very good in leading Canada with eight points before an ankle injury took him out of the game late in the first half. Canada could not recover from losing Braid.
“It was a huge blow for us when [Braid] left the game,” said Jones.
The Canadian players were rocked by several tackles administered by the larger Uruguayans.
“They won the collisions,” Jones said.
Canada, which has played in every World Cup to date, failed to advance out of the North American qualifier for the first time when it was handily demolished by the U.S. Eagles last summer.
If Uruguay takes the Americas back-door slot by winning next week at home, or losing by nine points or less, Canada’s last hope rests with winning the at-large, four-team last-chance world repechage tournament in June for the 20th and final berth into the 2019 World Cup.
There was better news from Down Under on Saturday for the Langford-based Canadian women’s team.
The 2016 Rio Olympic bronze-medallist Canadians beat Russia 40-12 to win the bronze medal in the Sydney Sevens.
