ALLISTON’S JORDAN WILSON-ROSS EARNS FIRST NATIONAL TEAM START IN WIN OVER NAMIBIA
Canada picked up a 17-13 win over Namibia at Parc Eirias on Friday (Nov. 7), setting them up well for their final two November matches in the coming weeks.
There was only one try scored by Canada and it came via flanker Nanyak Dala while scrum-half Gordon McRorie sent over four penalty goals for the team.
Namibia set up a nervy finish though in North Wales when captain Jacques Burger crashed over with five minutes remaining but Canada deservedly held on to win.
Canada, who were forced into a late change when Ospreys finisher Jeff Hassler pulled out with an injury, were looking to bounce back from last Sunday’s narrow loss to the Championship XV. Their opponents meanwhile entered the game very confident following an impressive 58-20 victory over Germany in Windhoek.
Jordon Wilson-Ross was Hassler’s replacement while the experienced James Pritchard came on to the bench for Canada’s second match of November’s tour.
However, Namibia were forced into a change themselves ten minutes into the action as Exeter Chiefs full-back Chrysander Botha was carried off, being replaced by Johann Tromp. This came after scrum-half McRorie had opened the scoring with a penalty goal following an encouraging passage for Canada in Namibia’s red zone.
Botha’s injury meant there was a extended stoppage which led to both sets of players having to keep warm before play resumed at Parc Eirias on Friday.
When it did, McRorie was on-target once again off the tee to double Canada’s advantage as they enjoyed most of the possession and territory in the game.
They almost capitalized on their start on 20 minutes when an outstanding run and offload from flank Dala on the ten-metre saw him find centre Ciaran Hearn, who took Canada to within fifteen metres. Unfortunately the recycled ball was dropped.
Soon after, Namibia enjoyed rare territory and when Canada had hands in a ruck on the right side, fly-half Theuns Kotzé comfortably reduced the arrears to 6-3.
Despite that three-pointer Canada displayed calmness and composure with ball in hand as Sean Duke and Conor Trainor linked up well on more than one occasion to give Canada and McRorie an opportunity to push his side 9-3 in front. He obliged.
However, again the Namibians struck back when Kotzé landed his second penalty of the game before flanker Rohan Kitshoff was shown a yellow card as the teams went into the break on a delicately poised 9-6 scoreline after a bruising first 40 minutes.
The early stages of the second stanza saw Canada kick on as Wilson-Ross’ slick run led to phase play which resulted in McRorie landed his third penalty of the match.
Kotzé could not do what McRorie successful managed soon after and it came back to cost Namibia when Wilson-Ross was again involved before many pick and drives from Canada’s forwards created space on the far touchline for Dala to dive over.
The missed conversion from McRorie preceded Braid being unsuccessful on 66 minutes as Canada were stuck on a 17-6 lead when boss Kieran Crowley sent on Sean White, Brett Buekeboom and Aaron Carpenter for the aforementioned scrum-half, lock Hotson and hooker Ray Barkwill, hoping fresh legs would boost his outfit.
Unfortunately for Canada it was the Namibians who found an extra gear as time ticked on and when captain Burger went over on the short side of their line-out, Kotzé’s conversion meant there was just four points in the tense game late on.
Braid struck the upright late on in a frantic closing spell that saw Namibia press but Canada held on to pick up a hard-earned and morale-boosting win on their tour.
Scorers:
For Canada:
Try: Dala
Pen: McRorie 4
For Namibia:
Try: Burger
Con: Kotzé
Pen: Kotzé 2
CANADA’S STARTING ROSTER TO FACE NAMIBIA:
1- Hubert Buydens – Captain (Unattached/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
2- Ray Barkwill – (Niagara Wasps RFC/Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
3- Jason Marshall – (Hawkes Bay Magpies/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
4- Tyler Hotson – (Doncaster Knights) Vancouver, BC
5- Jebb Sinclair – (London Irish/Atlantic Rock) Fredericton, NB
6- Kyle Gilmour – (St. Albert RFC/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
7- Nanyak Dala – (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) Regina, SK
8- John Moonlight – (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
9- Gordon McRorie – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
10- Connor Braid – (Glasgow Warriors/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
11- Sean Duke – (UVIC Vikes/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
12- Ciaran Hearn – (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay South, NL
13- Conor Trainor – (UBCOB Ravens/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
14- Jordan Wilson-Ross – (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Alliston, ON
15- DTH van der Merwe – (Glasgow Warriors) Regina, SK
16- Aaron Carpenter – (Cornish Pirates RFC) Brantford, ON
17- Jake Ilnicki – (NSW Country Eagles/BC Bears) Williams Lake, BC
18- Doug Wooldridge – (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON
19- Brett Buekeboom – (Plymouth Albion) Lindsay, ON
20- Nick Blevins – (Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
21- Sean White – (James Bay AA/BC Bears) Victoria, BC
22- Patrick Parfrey – (Swilers RFC/Atlantic Rock) St. Johns, NL
23- James Pritchard – (Bedford Blues) Parkes, NSW, Australia
CANADA’S NOVEMBER TOUR FIXTURES:
Canada 23 – 28 Championship XV
November 2, 2014
Sixways Stadium, Worcester, England
Canada 17-13 Namibia
November 7, 2014
Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay, Wales
Canada vs. Samoa
November 14, 2014
Stade de la Rabine, Vannes, France
Kick off: 7pm local time (1pm ET/10am PT)
Watch LIVE on www.irb.com
Follow @RugbyCanada on Twitter for updates
Canada vs. Romania
November 22, 2014
Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
Kick off: 6:30pm local time (11:30am ET/8:30am PT)
