It might be taking place under the convenient guise of the celebration of British Columbia’s 125th year of rugby, but make no mistake this is very much a trial match. Where the silly Welshmen threw together a listless match between established test veterans and spurious fringe candidates, Canada have selected two fairly evenly matched sides with intriguing one-on-one battles all over the pitch. Matches of this calibre are not commonplace for many of these players, so this very much serves a purpose for coach Kieran Crowley and his team of selectors.
The most conspicuous selection is Aaron Carpenter at the hooker position for BC. The transition has been on the cards for some time, flirted with briefly in 2007, and this season has seen him switching between there and his preferred no8 slot with his club side Cornish Pirates. Canada’s hooking stocks were already endangered but with Ryan Hamilton’s career on at least temporary hiatus due to injury, the position is perilously thin.
Comparitively the back row is bursting with options, so the combination of need and pressure on Canada’s captain has necessitated his fast track into the no2 jersey full-time. Of course incumbent hooker Ray Barkwill is under no obligation to secede from the jersey. There’s a real chance that Carpenter’s technical skills at the set piece aren’t quite up to par yet, a point the prickly Barkwill should have at the top of his priorities in the match.
Should Carpenter’s proposed move stick, and as needs must there’s every reason to think it will, it allows Tyler Ardron to take up the no8 jersey, giving the side a much-needed boost in carrying and especially the lineout. In recent years Crowley has opted for three shorter men in the back row, and with only Jon Phelan a top-notch jumper among the second rows the key first phase possession has suffered.
Another notable selection is that of Jebb Sinclair on the flank. The New Brunswicker has become a real stalwart in the pack since his debut in 2008, but has ofted been squeezed into the second row to shore up the scrum in the absence of Jamie Cudmore. With the big Clermont icon back in the frame, hopefully now through to the World cup, it should allow for Sinclair to have a good run where his physicality is most valuable.
Of course that leaves a bit of a selection conundrum for Crowley. If Ardron and Sinclair start in the back row, that only leaves room for one more. Four specialist openside flankers will start the game on Saturday, including the entire BC back row, with another, Chauncey O’Toole, sitting out injured. Two, at a stretch three, will go to the World Cup, leaving some very good players very disappointed. From a selection perspective it’s a good problem to have, if difficult.
Looking directly across from the venerable Phil Mack is a name probably foreign to many Canadian fans. Gordon McRorie arrived from Scotland three years ago and has somewhat quietly gone about establishing himself as one of the most skilled scrumhalves in the country, spending time with the UBCOB Ravens before excelling with the Wolf Pack in the CRC. If Argentina is renowned for its props, Scotland is a veritable production line of world-class scrumhalves, and if this one is of any reasonably similar quality he will be welcomed with open arms.
Canada has not really settled on a scrumhalf since Morgan Williams and Ed Fairhurst graced the shirt, and for all Mack’s individual brilliance his tactical appreciation in the full version of the game can sometimes be found wanting. A good game from McRorie could easily see him vaulted into pole position for the no9 jersey to face Japan, and then against his former home in Toronto the following week.
One could go on about numerous confrontations: Jake Ilnicki vs Hubert Buydens in the scrum, Conor Trainor vs Ciaran Hearn in the midfield, Taylor Paris vs Jeff Hassler out wide. While most will have already earned their spots in the training squad, starting positions are very much up for grabs in this match, which makes it a true trial match, and one certainly worth watching.
BC INVITATIONAL XV vs CANADA SELECTS
Saturday, May 31, 19:00 EST, Vancouver
English stream: Link
Referee: Chris Assmus (RC)
Assistants: Harry Mason (RC) & Nathan Abdelnour (RC)
TMO: n/a
