PREVIEW – Rugby Canada v Japan Rugby will be a big game for Canada. Firstly, that it is at home, and secondly, that they are playing such a quality opposition with Japan.
Rugby Canada v Japan Rugby: Japan Rugby Travels to British Columbia
Japan Rugby (1-0-4)
Japan has not been in good form, as they have lost their last four games. In fact, the last win they had was back in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where they defeated Samoa by a scoreline of 28-22. Since then, they have lost four straight games, including losing badly in two of those games against England and Italy, and just missing out on a result against Georgia.
The loss against Georgia was a shocker as Japan was seen as the favourite. This is what Japan captain Michael Leitch said (Source: Louis Chapman Coombe of Planet Rugby) about the game:
A 75th minute try by Georgia’s Javakhia and an 18th minute red card by Japanese player, Kanji Shimokawa played a big role in the result of the game.
Rugby Canada (2-0-3)
READ MORE: Canada vs Romania: Rugby Canada Looks to Rebound
The Canadian team may only have two wins in their last five games, but their last win will give them a lot of confidence as they were able to beat Romania for the first time since 1995. That game took place on July 22, 2024. This is what their head coach, Kingsley Jones, said about the game (Source: Pacific Nations Cup of World Rugby):
“We want to build momentum following our win against Romania last month,” head coach Jones said. “We are playing two teams this month who we have a lot of respect for, two good teams. It will be two challenging games, but we want to continue the winning feeling.
When looking at the rankings of Canada, USA, and Japan, the Canadians are the lowest ranked team. The Canadians are ranked 21st, with the U.S. not too far ahead at 19th. Japan though is on a different level as the other two teams as they ranked 14th in the world (Source: World Rugby).
The top two teams from each group will make it to the semi-final round. The other group of the 2024 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup includes Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
READ MORE: Rugby Canada’s Men’s 15’s Team Roster
Head-To-Head Matches
Looking at the head-to-head matches between these two teams since 2007, Canada has not won a game and has drawn twice. The last result the Canadians got was on September 27, 2011, in the Rugby World Cup, where both teams drew with 23 points each. Since then, though, Japan has won the last four meetings against Canada. The last game between both teams was on June 11, 2016, where Japan defeated Canada by a scoreline of 26-22.
Players to Watch
With Canada, one can look at Andrew Quattrin, who scored two tries in that very important win over Romania last month. The hooker for both Rugby Canada and the New England Free Jacks of MLR has really excelled scoring 20 points in 16 appearances for his national team. The whole team though has improved quite a lot and Jones had this to say (Source: northeast Now):
“The depth that we have at the moment is probably the best it’s been in at least six years. And the backs particularly,” said the former Wales captain. “It’s becoming difficult to pick a team, which is what I need. I need a headache (in selection) every night.”
As for Japan, they have many notable players, one which includes Michael Leitch. The captain of the national team has been a long stay with the national team since 2008, scoring 100 points in 80 games played. He will be needed off-the-pitch as well as on-the-pitch as discipline has been a problem for the team recently.
As for Japan’s head coach, Eddie Jones, he said this about the national team earlier this year (Source: BBC):
“There is no reason why Japan cannot become one of the world’s top four teams.”
Japan has a long way to go to accomplish that, as they have not won a game since Jones took charge of the national team. They will however be considered favourites against both Canada and the U.S. in this 2024 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup.
How To Watch The Game
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Fans of the Rugby Canada men’s national team across the nation can watch the game live on TSN3 and will also be available on TSN+ at 5:00pm ET (2:00pm PT) at BC Place. This will also be Canada’s second-highest ranked team that they had to face after facing Scotland earlier this year.
Photo Credit: Rugby Canada X Account on August 23, 2024.
