r/CanadaRugby

Canada Vs Spain July 4th Match Report

On one of the biggest days for rugby of the year, world rugby wisely decided to save the best for last. Who needs to get up at 3:00 AM to watch New Zealand Vs France when you can watch the 17th and 25th ranked teams battle it out next to a historic, beautiful stadium. 

Even in the smaller stadium there were a lot of empty seats, which I hope will lead rugby Canada to reconsider their starting price of $68 dollars for a ticket for the Portugal game, but I don’t think it will. 

The first half was a contest between well worked Spanish strike move off line outs and Spanish ill discipline. Spain got it started with a loop play that gave the fly half too much time and space which let him kick off his left foot into an acre of empty space for an easy dot down for the Spanish winger. The teams then traded fake mauls off the line out that led to scores with players running down the channel. 

After scoring four trys against the USA Tyler Ardron shared the joy with a slick offload to Jason Higgins to score. That made 28 points scored in 17 minutes. 

The game went back and forth after that as Rumball got 2 turnovers and the Canadians threw it away twice. Canada got one more rip but went into touch again. That set up another Spanish strike move as players came around the corner, into a gap, and over the try line. 

Canada struck back through Mason Flesch’s second try. A succession of Spanish penalties got Canada a five meter line out and the forwards knocked on the door until they knocked down the door and the players went to the sheds at 21 - 21. 

For set pieces, the Canadian scrum bent, but didn’t break. Props fought hard to keep their heads in the dark places until Ardron could get the ball out which meant that Spain’s scrum advantage didn’t become Spain’s scrum dominance. Canada’s line out looked really good and even when they juggled it, they came down with. Spain lost at least two line outs. Spain also missed touch twice, which further tilted the penalty battle. 

Not very much TMO intervention in the first half, possibly because the TMOs are centrally located in the UK for the second tier tournament. I’m fine with it, it makes sense. No one wants to commute to the office just to sit on zoom calls all day and, genuinely, it seems TMOs can do the job just as well at home in their sweatpants as in a cramped van in an Edmonton parking lot. Kick off was at 2:00 in the morning London time, so at least the TMO will be adjusted when he stays up late for England V Mexico in the Football World Cup tomorrow. 

There looked to be a little change in kick strategy at the half. In the first half, Canada mostly kicked long through Nelson while Spain was more comfortable with the up and unders. More contestable kicks from Canada after the break to start, but very little aerial contest in this game in general. Maybe I watch too much from England, but it seemed like a huge difference to me. 

Spain started the second half the way they did the first: scoring a quick try. A Spanish player found the gap. The Scrum half ran the line all good scrum halves do and scored the try. 

Ardron saved himself some teasing from his Clermont teammates by getting on the board off the best move of the night so far from Canada. Rumball contributed two great breaks to set it up. Nelson hit the kick from on the sideline to take us to 28 - 28. 

Nelson had his best and last contribution of the night just after. Spain sent a good chip kick over the Canadian defence and into the try-zone for a well timed charge from a Spanish player. Nelson got there just in time to sacrifice the body for the cause. He was subbed immediately. 

It was around this time that Sophie DeGoode showed everyone up again. Not only can she kick goals and jump in a line out, she can give an interview without sounding like a dweeb. After the two interviews at halftime, it was a breath of fresh air. 

Canada took the lead through Spanish penalties and Quatrin mauled over from close range. You earn penalties from pressure, but the Spanish will be disappointed with their discipline. Spain yellow card on the play. 

Not much during the yellow card period, except a nice view of a Canadian player’s ass. 

Spain tied the game using the same strategy Canada had used over and over. Kick to the corner, maul, try. Eighth conversion in a row was good and it was 35 - 35 with ten to play. 

In the 76th minute, Spain earned their first scrum penalty of the match on their own five yard line. For the third time this game, Spain found pay first with a first phase strike play of a line out, and then, ladies and gentleman, my internet crapped out. I wish I was joking. When I got things back, Spain had scored and the TMO was not intervening to check something… sound off in the comments to tell me what it was. 

AND. THEN. 

Holy shit we did it. 

Multi phase play. Canada pounded in the middle and earned the right to go wide. Noah Flesch shrugged off two tackles and got up after a third when he wasn’t held. Hands down the line was enough and the Canadian had enough wherewithal to get nearly under the post to give the third string kicker an easier time since Cooper Coats got injured on the last play. 

The TMO woke up in London and tried to ice the kicker as we spent three minutes watching the replay wondering what they could possibly want. The ref clarified that he had called not held. I was briefly worried that we were going to have the world’s softest obstruction penalty. The conversion was simple if you’re doing it in practice but as your first kick of the game, 80th minute, after a TMO check. I would’ve shanked it, but. 

HOLY SHIT WE DID IT. 

Maybe some people will say they salvaged a draw. Getting a tie against a good European championship side after getting bullied on tour last summer felt like a huge result. 

Big take aways:

The teams combined for 12 from 12 on conversions, including at least three from the touchlines. A missed kick would have really changed the story. No penalty goals all match. 

Canada’s defence is better, but too brittle. Big line breaks from the Spanish are killers, and once they were through they were gone. 

The Canadian set piece looked pretty good, but was really helped by getting the ball out of the scrum quickly. 

Kick return and long range kicking duels looked good. Not sure if the kick is there as an attacking weapon. 

Can’t depend on teams handing us that many penalties again. 

Anybody know? Specifically Ire/Aus.

https://preview.redd.it/owpucjsxowah1.png?width=1500&format=png&auto=webp&s=88060bff56e27ecbc97a1e39f951a10cb8c8a1fc