World

Canada’s men remain undefeated at rugby sevens series with back-to-back wins

VANCOUVER —
After cruising previous Germany of their first recreation, the Canadian males wanted a late attempt from Matthew Percillier to defeat Chile 19-14 and stay undefeated Saturday on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Collection.

Trailing 14-12, Percillier took a move from captain Phil Berna to attain the successful factors.

“We discovered our footing within the second half,” stated Percillier, a member of the College of British Columbia Thunderbirds and certainly one of a number of gamers making their World Rugby Sevens debut. “If we carry that tempo the entire recreation, nobody goes to maintain up with us.”

Veterans Andrew Coe and Jake Thiel additionally scored tries for Canada.

“It was a workforce efficiency,” stated Coe, a member of the workforce that completed eighth on the Tokyo Olympics. “Any time certainly one of our gamers fell down or made a mistake, six different guys helped him again up and labored onerous for one another.”

The Canadian ladies had been crushed 22-12 by the U.S. and 19-5 by Nice Britain earlier than defeating Mexico 39-0 within the opening day of the Quick 4 competitors.

“We constructed each recreation,” stated coach Kelly Russell, a member of the Canadian workforce that received bronze on the 2016 Rio Olympics. “To finish the sport with successful like that’s actually constructive shifting into Day 2.”

Brennig Prevost scored one try to arrange one other on a reasonably play to Berna as the lads began the day with a convincing 24-5 win over Germany.

Josiah Morra of Toronto scored two tries whereas Prevost kicked two converts.

Prevost, the Victoria native making his World Ruby Sevens debut, assisted on Berna’s opening attempt of the sport. He kicked a ball into the tip zone that the Canadian captain was in a position to get a hand on.

“We knew we had good younger guys coming off the bench,” stated Berna. “We needed to set that platform. We wished to supply an excellent construction for them.”

Alysha Corrigan of Charlottetown, P.E.I., scored two tries within the ladies’s win over Mexico. Emma Chown of Barrie, Ont., Fancy Bermudez Chavez of Edmonton, Olivia Apps of Victoria, Chloe Daniels of Sutton, Ont., and Asia Hogan-Rochester of Toronto additionally scored.

Canada led the U.S. 12-5 at halftime of the opening match earlier than giving up 17 second-half factors.

“Sevens comes right down to health and people further couple of metres,” stated Apps, the workforce captain. “The U.S. actually took it to us. They discovered our weaknesses within the line of defense and used them completely to maintain possession and rating.

“It was a tricky match.”

Chown scored two tries whereas Daniels kicked two converts.

Renee Gonzalez, a Scarborough, Ont., native who now attends the College of Victoria, scored Canada’s lone factors within the loss to Nice Britain.

Canada (1-2) will play the U.S. (2-1) in a single semifinal Sunday whereas Nice Britain (3-0) faces Mexico (0-3). The winners play for the gold medal whereas the loser meet for bronze.

The match is the primary HSBC World Rugby Sevens Collection occasion since COVID-19 put the brakes on the circuit final March. Canada completed third within the final match performed in Vancouver.

COVID-19 issues meant attendance at BC Place Stadium was capped at round 13,500 within the decrease bowl, however that did not deter followers from dressing for the occasion. Scattered among the many crowd had been wizards in tall hats, a bunch of yellow bananas, totally different sorts of furry creatures, a number of pirates, a bunch dressed like canned clams, what appeared like a bottle of ketchup, some Mounties, a blue shark, and several other individuals in loud Hawaiian shirts.

This yr’s match has solely 12 males’s groups as an alternative of the traditional 16. Rugby powerhouses like New Zealand, Fiji, Australia and Samoa determined to skip the occasion.

The Canadian males have been drawn in Pool C with the U.S., Chile and Germany.

A number of veterans of the Canadian males’s workforce like Nate Hirayama, Connor Braid, Justin Douglas and Conor Trainor all retired after the Tokyo Video games.

World Rugby says there will probably be no relegation from the 2021 Collection and the outcomes is not going to depend towards seedings for future occasions.

The 2-day match ends Sunday.

The groups subsequent head to Edmonton to play subsequent weekend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Sept. 18, 2021.

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