Canada vs. USA, RWC warm up home and away series.

[AfakasiAssasin]

may be an option is to have two confernaces....you only play in your conferance, and then the have a play off, each year you could mix the conferance(s) up so they are always different

That could be another option. I think to have a 2 conference competition you would need 8 teams as 6 would probably be too short. Maybe if they were to do that I think you could throw the top South American rated nation (probably Uruguay), the Argentina Jaguars, or runner up of the Asia 5 nations (Probably Korea or Hong Kong, giving the Asian nations outside of Japan something to aim for) to make up to 8 teams. Each team plays 3 games each with the top of each conference to Play the Final. On paper this seems to be another exciting option I would love to see happen.

 

[padovadue26]

The USA should of won both matches. They would of won the 1st but if you make careless mistakes any team good or bad will eat you alive on the professional level.I believe the will give a surprise perfomance in the group of death that they are in and pull an upset. Also please be a supporter of my website that I have created for the team that I am playing for in Italy since I am done protecting our country in afghanistan and Iraq. Its www.usrocciarubano.com. Please support me and I willl do the the same. God bless to all.

 

[CDN_Rugby]

The USA should of won both matches.

What makes you say that?

It's kind of hard to say that the Eagles should have won the second game when they lost by twenty...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

The USA looked poor in both games and Canada look like a side growing on each performance, looking forward to seeing more of them at the RWC.

 

[formerlyfastwing]

The USA looked poor in both games and Canada look like a side growing on each performance, looking forward to seeing more of them at the RWC.

We got better true, but there is still big issues. Line out, and out attack. We are not scary with the ball in hand. DTH is fine @ 13, but 12...the cupboard is bare.....

 

[formerlyfastwing]

What makes you say that?

...

Blind pride.....?

 

[LittleGuy]

We got better true, but there is still big issues. Line out, and out attack. We are not scary with the ball in hand. DTH is fine @ 13, but 12...the cupboard is bare.....

Evans needs to be put back in at 12 or 13, and Pritch needs to be at Fullback, unless of course Evans injury is more serious then we have been told.

 

[CDN_Rugby]

Evans needs to be put back in at 12 or 13, and Pritch needs to be at Fullback, unless of course Evans injury is more serious then we have been told.

Evans seems like he would be a natural fit at 12 considering he formerly player flyhalf at the U-20 level. Having those good distribution skills is what Scholz and Smith are lacking and it's what would help bring DTH and our wingers into the game. After having seen the past two games (and the Churchill Cup campaign) I figure our 22 at the WC has to look like this:

1) Buydens
2) Riordan (one more bad game and Crowley might have to tinker with Hamilton)
3) Marshall
4) Cudmore
5) Sinclair
6) Kleeberger
7) O' Toole
8) Carpenter

9) Fairhurst
10) Monro
11) Hearn
12) Evans
13) DTH
14) Mackenzie
15) Pritchard

16) Hamilton (seems to have been reliable enough to include despite the fact that Marshall can cover at hooker)
17) Franklin
18) Erichsen (might not be a bad idea to start Erichsen and bring Sinclair off the bench)
19) Dala
20) White
21) Hirayama
22) Trainor (what does this kid have to do to get a proper look? He was dynamite at the CC)

 

[formerlyfastwing]

Evans seems like he would be a natural fit at 12 considering he formerly player flyhalf at the U-20 level. Having those good distribution skills is what Scholz and Smith are lacking and it's what would help bring DTH and our wingers into the game. After having seen the past two games (and the Churchill Cup campaign) I figure our 22 at the WC has to look like this:

1) Buydens
2) Riordan (one more bad game and Crowley might have to tinker with Hamilton)
3) Marshall
4) Cudmore
5) Sinclair
6) Kleeberger
7) O' Toole
8) Carpenter

9) Fairhurst
10) Monro
11) Hearn
12) Evans
13) DTH
14) Mackenzie
15) Pritchard

16) Hamilton (seems to have been reliable enough to include despite the fact that Marshall can cover at hooker)
17) Franklin
18) Erichsen (might not be a bad idea to start Erichsen and bring Sinclair off the bench)
19) Dala
20) White
21) Hirayama
22) Trainor (what does this kid have to do to get a proper look? He was dynamite at the CC)

that line up looks good. I agree that we need a distrubtor @ 12, a second 10 as it were.......happy to see smith is not in your game day 22, let's put the young kids on the squad

 

[LittleGuy]

As an aside it was good to see White look comfortable at SH, last weekend, I am much more comfortable if anything should happen to our "Edness". I want to see Dala again but unfortunately he was injured for the two States matches hopefully he will be fit for the Australian warmups.

 

[Shaggy]

that line up looks good. I agree that we need a distrubtor @ 12, a second 10 as it were.......happy to see smith is not in your game day 22, let's put the young kids on the squad

Formerly fast wings sometimes make good number 12s

 

[Brad John]

The USA should of won both matches. They would of won the 1st but if you make careless mistakes any team good or bad will eat you alive on the professional level.I believe the will give a surprise perfomance in the group of death that they are in and pull an upset. Also please be a supporter of my website that I have created for the team that I am playing for in Italy since I am done protecting our country in afghanistan and Iraq. Its www.usrocciarubano.com. Please support me and I willl do the the same. God bless to all.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda... they didn't win either game... that's like saying they should win every RWC pool stage game but if they don't it will be because of careless errors, right? stupid way to look at the loses. Canada played just well enough to beat them, and probably came 'down' to the USA level, and that is one of ugly rugby. Check out the Canada vs France A - a game from last Churchill Cup, that is how Canada 'should' be playing all the time, but of course don't. USA 'may' give Italy a scare, like Canada did in 1997, hopefully will beat Russia, but will lose badly to the other teams after 50 - 60 mins when they tucker out, which they will no question.

 

[brynylon]

Watched both games on video from Universal Sports.Both sides were poor.On those performances,Canada will get trounced by Tonga.Remember a Tonga B team beat USA by plenty in the Churchill Cup.
Besides,one of the Tongan players was coached by Canadas coach Crowley at Taranaki.He remembers him in a poor light.He aims to make him pay dearly when a full strength Tonga play Canada at the World Cup.His motivation for that game will be very high.Redemption day!

 

[CDN_Rugby]

Watched both games on video from Universal Sports.Both sides were poor.On those performances,Canada will get trounced by Tonga.Remember a Tonga B team beat USA by plenty in the Churchill Cup.
Besides,one of the Tongan players was coached by Canadas coach Crowley at Taranaki.He remembers him in a poor light.He aims to make him pay dearly when a full strength Tonga play Canada at the World Cup.His motivation for that game will be very high.Redemption day!

Remember that Canada "A" trounced Tonga "A" at the America's Rugby Championship last year. Also, Canada has the advantage with respect to total wins between the two sides winning three of five games played. Tonga's a good side but I think Canada will beat them.

 

[formerlyfastwing]

I think the Tonga game, like most, will come down to defence. If Canada can close up the centres, the game is ours.

 

[psychic duck]

Tonga'uiha will destroy Canada's scrum

 

[ranger]

Remember that Canada "A" trounced Tonga "A" at the America's Rugby Championship last year. Also, Canada has the advantage with respect to total wins between the two sides winning three of five games played. Tonga's a good side but I think Canada will beat them.

Tonga has a tiny player base compared to Canada (20-odd thousand to 6-something thousand. To really put things in perspective, Canada has 600 registered referees in the country, Tonga has 8!), So the gulf between the international side and the "A" side would be a lot larger for island team.

I think with the injection of the bigger names for the tournament Tonga has to go in favourites. They have a nasty pack of forwards and a very clever halves combination who should be able to control the game. Canadas best chance to win is to avoid the contact and pace the tongans out on the outside, they would have to have a bit of luck going their way too however.

Tonga'uiha will destroy Canada's scrum

Tonga'uiha, Taumalolo, Filise, Aulika.. take your pick. The depth in the front row is ridiculous, they should have one of the better scrums at the tournament. Lineout is a bit dubious though and somewhere Canada can probably get an edge

 

[SirBurger32]

How well-regarded is Jebb Sinclair? We have signed him for next season. He seems to be being used as a second row and at 6 for the national side. Which is his better position? I think we need him more in the back row than second row where we are very well-stocked. Thoughts appreciated.

 

[Wilkinson]

How well-regarded is Jebb Sinclair? We have signed him for next season. He seems to be being used as a second row and at 6 for the national side. Which is his better position? I think we need him more in the back row than second row where we are very well-stocked. Thoughts appreciated.

Can't really give you an answer except for that he scored a dynamite try right in front of me at the first of these home-and-home games, hats off to him.

 

[Wally]

USA world cup promo ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJwIiuszFrU&feature=share