Canada selects for historic tour to Portugal, Ireland, Wales and Scotland

The selections for Canada’s four country tour to Europe have been made, with a diverse and deep group of players brought into the fold for the challenging matches ahead in Portugal, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.

With the first match in Lisbon taking place just outside the International Rugby Board window for access to professional based players - the reliance has been made on a number of Canada’s domestic based players, with the remainder of the tour tapping into the experience of some of the overseas based pros to take on three of the four home nations.

Familiar faces into the side include experienced front row and 41 times capped prop Kevin Tkachuk. He is joined by veteran prop/hooker Mike Pletch, and flanker Adam Kleeberger. Also into the fold are first year second rows Tyler Hotson and Luke Cudmore and back row/second row Stu Ault. Leading the side is hooker Pat Riordan - who is currently playing with the UVic Vikings of the Island Elite league.

In the backs Ander Monro has committed to the final three matches, while fullback/wing James Pritchard will be in for the whole tour and he will be one of several players coming from Nassau, in the Bahamas - following the Sevens World Cup qualifiers on Oct. 25th/26th. New A team caps from earlier this season include Matt Evans, the U20 fly-half, and Bryn Keys, who came into prominence during the Barclays Churchill Cup. Ryan Smith - who has moved back to Canada and is playing club rugby in Calgary is also in the side - with the ability to cover off at both fly-half and centre. Dean Van Camp - who has battled through some injury problems in 2008 is also slated into a wing spot for all legs of the tour.

Fly-half Nathan Hirayama has recovered from an arm injury sustained in June at the U20 World Championships -and will fight for inclusion in all four games. He is joined by U20 scrum-half Sean White, who has impressed through the NA4 this season. New Brunswick’s Jebb Sinclair will also be putting his hand up for selectors - as the rangy back row has shown a nose for the breakdown for Canada East - and also on the Sevens circuit.

A number of uncapped players that have participated in the North America Four and Rugby Canada Super League competitions are being rewarded for their hard work with their first international selections. They include Capilano RFC flanker Jason Marshall, University of Victoria’s Sean Duke, along with Newfoundlanders Andrew Fagan (back row) and Frank Walsh (prop).  Dan Gordon of the Toronto Scottish, who trialed at the recent camp at Shawnigan Lake has also gotten the nod for the Portugal and UK/Irish leg, while Velox Valhallians prop Travis Robertson figures into the tour selection for the whole tour as well.

Coming into the last three games of the tour will be some familiar names to Canadian team fans with Cornish Pirates lock Mike Burak, and Josh Jackson of Stade Bordelais providing some height in the line against Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In the back row Sean Michael Stephen, who is at Plymouth Albion of England’s National Division One will be a force to reckon with, while John Thiel will provide some experience in the front row. Ed Fairhurst also joins Canada starting with the test against Ireland. He has been enjoying success in his second season with the Cornish Pirates.

A big add on the wing will be Justin Mensah-Coker, who made the shift from Albi in France to play in England’s National Division One with Plymouth Albion.

This tour is one of the most challenging ever undertaken by a Canadian team in a non-World Cup year, and while Coach Kieran Crowley is disappointed that not all players were available due to injury, he is satisfied the group selected is ready for the task at hand.

“We have seen a fair few players through the course of this season, so we are very confident in our selections I would have to say,” said Crowley from his Victoria, BC office. “We have a good mix of veterans - with a few new guys who will get an opportunity to show us what they can do.

“This tour will be an important measure of how we are progressing - and it will be good to see these players in some pressure situations to see how they do.”

Some of the players not available for all or a portion of the tour include prop Hubert Buydens, second row Luke Tait, flanker Nanyak Dala and wing DTH van der Merwe - to name a few. But with the number of games Crowley and selectors have seen - coupled with the recent camp held at Shawnigan Lake - the confidence is growing that the new brand of rugby the former All Black has been shaping will come to bear.

Canada’s Schedule to Portugal, Ireland, Wales and Scotland
Canada vs Portugal @ Lisbon – November 1st  kick-off 15:00 local – University of Lisbon Stadium
Canada vs Ireland @ Limerick – November 8th  kick-off 17:15 local – Thomond Park
Canada vs Wales @ Cardiff – November 14th  kick-off 19:15 local – Millennium Stadium
Canada vs Scotland @ Aberdeen – November 23rd  kick-off 17:15 local - Pittodrie

Canadian Team Selection for Portugal (Current Club/hometown)
Stu  Ault   Castaway Wanderers/Perth, ON
Aaron Carpenter  Cowichan RFC, UK/Brantford, ON
Luke Cudmore unattached/Squamish, BC
Sean Duke     University of Victoria/Vancouver, BC
Matt  Evans   Hartpury College, UK/Cowichan, BC
Andrew Fagan  Swilers/St. John’s, NFLd
Dan Gordon Toronto Scottish/Toronto, ON
Ciaran  Hearn    Castaway Wanderers/St. John’s, NFLD
Nathan  Hirayama          University of Victoria, Vancouver, BC
Tyler  Hotson  Northern Suburbs-Aus/Vancouver, BC
Bryn Keys     Velox Valhallians/Abbotsford, BC
Adam Kleeberger        University of Victoria/Victoria, BC
Phil  Mack    James Bay Athletic Association/Victoria, BC
Philip  Mackenzie    University of Victoria/Oakville, ON
Jason Marshall      Capilano RFC/West Vancouver, BC
Ander Monro   Colorno RFC, Italy/Edinburgh, Scotland
Mike  Pletch   Velox Valhallians/Lucan, ON
James Pritchard   Bedford Blues/Sydney, Aus.
Pat  Riordan ©  University of Victoria/Burnaby Lake, BC
Travis Robertson     Velox Valhallians/Saskatoon, SK
Jebb Sinclair Castaway Wanderers/Fredericton, NB
Ryan Smith    Calgary Irish/Brampton, ON
Kevin Tkachuk    Glasgow Warriors/Regina, SK
Dean Van Camp   Velox Valhallians/Port Perry, ON
Frank Walsh   Vandals/St. John’s, NL

Canadian Team Selection for Portugal (Current Club/hometown)
Stu Ault      Castaway Wanderers/Perth, ON
Mike Burak    Cornish Pirates/Vancouver, BC
Aaron Carpenter          Cowichan RFC, UK/Brantford, ON
Luke  Cudmore     unattached/Squamish, BC
Sean  Duke     University of Victoria/Vancouver, BC
Matt   Evans   Hartpury College/Cowichan, BC
Ed Fairhurst           Cornish Pirates/Victoria, BC
Dan Gordon Toronto Scottish/Toronto, ON
Ciaran Hearn    Castaway Wanderers/St. John’s NL
Nathan Hirayama          University of Victoria/Vancouver, BC
Tyler  Hotson Northern Suburbs/Vancouver, BC
Josh  Jackson            Stade Bordelais/Vancouver, BC
Bryn  Keys     Velox Valhallians/Abbotsford, BC
Adam  Kleeberger        U Vic Vikes/Victoria, BC
Phil Mack    James Bay Athletic Association/Victoria, BC
Philip Mackenzie         University of Victoria/Oakville, ON
Jason Marshall            Capilano RFC/West Vancouver
Justin Mensah-Coker   Plymouth Albion/Vancouver, BC
Ander Monro   Colorno, Italy/Edinburgh, Scotland
Mike Pletch   Velox Valhallians/Lucan, ON
James  Pritchard           Bedford Blues/Sydney, Australia
Pat Riordan©          University of Victoria/Burnaby Lake, BC
Travis Robertson         Velox Valhallians/Saskatoon, SK
Jebb Sinclair Castaway Wanderers/Fredericton, NB
Ryan Smith    Calgary Irish/Brampton, ON
Sean Michael    Stephen    Plymouth Albion/Oakville, ON
John Thiel     Burnaby Lake/White Rock, BC
Kevin Tkachuk      Glasgow Warriors/Regina, Saskatchewan
Dean Van Camp     Velox Valhallians/Port Perry, ON
Frank Walsh   Vandals/St. John’s, NL
Sean  White    James Bay Athletic Association/Victoria, BC

Unavailable for selection for all or a portion of tour: Hubert Buydens, Jamie Cudmore, Nanyak Dala*, Sam Jenkins, Stan McKeen*, David Spicer, Luke Tait, Andrew Tiedemann, Nick Trenkel, DTH van der Merwe, Andrew Wilson, Colin Yukes

*Available for later portion of tour

Non-traveling reserves: Jordan Allers, Michael Barbieri, Nick Blevins, Nanyak Dala, Thyssen de Goede, Scott Franklin, Ryan Hamilton, Harry Jones, Jordan Kozina, Tony La Carte, Stan McKeen, Chauncey O’Toole, Dave Ramsey, Luke Tait, Sean White, Doug Wooldridge

Staff
Kieran   Crowley   Head coach
John     Tait       Assistant Coach
Morgan Williams            Skills Coach
Kevin    Wirachowski      Forwards Coach Portugal/Ireland
Peter    Huigienbos       Video Analyst – Wales/Scotland
Des      Lynch   Program Manager NSMT
Rodger Swany  Program Manager NSMT
Dr John   Ho        Physican, Portugal/Ireland
Dr Joe  LeMoine   Physican, Wales/Scotland
Sandra  Bosich  Massage Therapist/Portugal/Ireland
Carrie    Smith    Physiotherapist, Portugal/Ireland
Kim Mark Goldsworthy Massage Therapist, Wales/Scotland
Darren  Warrie   Athletic Therapist, Ireland/Wales/Scotland
Ben      Suen     Physiotherapist, Wales / Scotland
Doug Crosse - Press Officer – Video Technician

Tags: Portuagl, Rugby Canada, Wales