Canada unchanged for second leg of U20 rugby qualifier against the U.S.

EDMONTON — Canada under-20 coach Jeff Williams has named an unchanged squad for Game 2 of the World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier against the U.S. on Saturday in Edmonton.

The Canadian men lead the two-game aggregate series by 34 points after Tuesday’s 46-12 win at Ellerslie Rugby Park. The two teams meet at the same venue Saturday, as part of a doubleheader with the Canada-Romania test match. 

Centre George Barton captains Canada, which ran in seven tries against the Americans in the first game.

The series winner advances to the World Rugby U20 Trophy, a second-tier under-20 championship that runs Aug. 29 to Sept. 19 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The first-tier under-20 title is currently being contested at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, where England will face New Zealand in the final of the 12-country event Sunday.

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Last year, Canada lost a one-game qualifier 19-18 to the Americans on an 80th-minute penalty in Texas.

In 2015, Canada qualified via a two-game series with the Americans, losing 49-24 to Georgia in the Trophy tournament final. The Trophy winner is promoted to the top-tier U20 championship.

Canada U20 Roster

Liam Murray (Langley) Langley, B.C.; Dewald Kotze (UBCOB Ravens) Edmonton; Cole Keith (James Bay AA) Sussex, N.B.; Liam Doll (UBC Thunderbirds) North Vancouver; Matt Beukeboom (Section Paloise) Lindsay, Ont.; Lachlan Currie (Bond University) Gold Coast, Australia; James O’Neill (UVic Vikes) Cochrane, Alta.; Jake Thiel (Abbotsford RFC), Abbotsford, B.C.; Fraser Hurst (UBC Thunderbirds) Vancouver; Will Kelly (Brantford Harlequins) Ancaster, Ont.; Elias Ergas (UBC Thunderbirds) Vancouver; Josh Thiel (Bishop Burton College) Abbotsford, B.C.; George Barton, captain (Clermont) Duncan, B.C.; Anton Ngongo (Castaway Wanderers), Victoria; Aidan McMullan (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC), Montreal.

Replacements

Steven Ng (Capilano RFC) Ottawa; Connor Sampson (UBC Thunderbirds) Vancouver; Nicholas Frost (UBC Thunderbirds) Vancouver; Jamie McNaughton Carleton Place, Ont.; Jack McRogers (Aurora Barbarians) Newmarket, Ont.; William McDougall-Percillier (Cowichan Piggies), Mill Bay, Victoria; Brennig Prevost (UVic Vikes) Victoria; Cole Davis (Canberra Royals) Calgary.

The Canadian Press