Canada 50-man RWC squad, and yes HE is included!!!

[LittleGuy]

Hookers
Ryan Hamilton (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Mike Pletch (Lucan, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Pat Riordan (Burnaby, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)


Props
Hubert Buydens (Saskatoon, SK, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Tom Dolezel (London, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Scott Franklin (Regina, SK, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Jason Marshall (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Andrew Tiedemann (St. Albert, AB, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Frank Walsh (St. John's, NFLD, The Rock/CRC)
Doug Wooldridge (Lindsay, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)



Second Row
Brett Beukeboom (Lindsay, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Jamie Cudmore (Squamish, B.C., Clermont Ferrand/PRO)
Brian Erichsen (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Mitch Gudgeon (Victoria, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Tyler Hotson (Vancouver, B.C., Plymouth/PRO)
Jon Phelan (Montreal, QC, The Rock/CRC)
Luke Tait (Barrie, ON, unattached)



Back Row
Tyler Ardron (Peterborough, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Aaron Carpenter (Brantford, ON, Plymouth Albion/PRO)
Nanyak Dala (Saskatoon, SK, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Adam Kleeburger (White Rock,B.C., Unattached)
Jeremy Kyne (Wellington, NZ/Edmonton, AB, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Stan McKeen (Vancouver, B.C., Oxford University)
John Moonlight (Pickering, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Chauncey O'Toole (Bell Isle, NB, The Rock/CRC)
Kevin Parfrey (St. John’s, NB, The Rock/CRC)
Jebb Sinclair (Fredericton, NB, The Rock/CRC)
Sean Michael-Stephen (Oakville, ON, Plymouth Albion/PRO)



Backs

Scrum-halves
Kyle Armstrong (Whitby, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)
Ed Fairhurst (Victoria, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Jamie Mackenzie (Oakville, ON, Esher/PRO)
Sean White (Victoria, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Eric Wilson (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)



Fly-halves
Connor Braid (Victoria, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Nathan Hirayama (Richmond, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Ander Monro (Victoria, B.C., Ontario Blues/CRC)



Centres
Nick Blevins (Vancouver, B.C., Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Ryan Smith (Calgary, AB, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Conor Trainor (Victoria, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Phil Mackenzie (Oakville, ON, Esher/PRO)
Mike Scholz (Oakville, ON, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Tyler Wish (Victoria, BC, The Rock/CRC)


Wings
Sean Duke (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears/CRC)
Justin Mensah-Coker (Vancouver, B.C., B.C. Bears)
DTH van der Merwe (Victoria, B.C., Glasgow Warriors/PRO)
Jeff Hassler (Calgary, AB, Prairie Wolf Pack/CRC)
Ciaran Hearn (Conception Bay, NFLD, The Rock/CRC)
Taylor Paris (Barrie, ON, Ontario Blues/CRC)


Fullbacks
Matt Evans (Duncan, B.C., Unattached)
James Pritchard (Parkes, Australia, Bedford/PRO)

As some have suggested may happen (notably fellow TRF member Rusty_lock), Kevin Tkachuk is really the only suprising exclusion, he had left Glasgow in the Spring but had wanted to try and make the squad but Kieran Crowley felt there were younger players who were showing growth in the front three. The scrum did look a lot better during the Churchill Cup, I'm sad to see Kevin go and wish him the best in his future endeavours though. I thought Josh Jackson may have gotten looked at for a spot, but Canada has chosen otherwise.

There are a few players here who I would suggest have little to no chance of making the 30 man roster in July, but I think Crowley wants to let players know that their stock is on the rise within the national team picture. As well injuries and availability issues could spring up especially with the amateur players.

 

[formerlyfastwing]

Rugby Canada....can't even get their info right, Blevins, is a Calgary boy, Calgary Hornets......

 

[CDN_Rugby]

Yeah, Tkachuk is a definate suprise omision, but I guess that's a testiment to how far our scrum has come since last year. Out of the 50 named, I think out squad will be as follows:

1) Buydens
2) Riordan (c)
3) Marshall
4) Erichsen
5) Cudmore
6) Kleeberger
7) O'Toole
8) Carpenter
9) Fairhurst
10) Monro
11) Hearn
12) P. Mackenzie
13) DTH
14) Pritchard
15) Evans

16) M. Pletch
17) Tiedemann
18) Sinclair
19) Dala
20) J. Mackenzie (Has White had a good game since last year against France 'A'?)
21) Trainor
22) Mensah-Coker

23) Franklin
24) Dolezel
25) Tait
26) Hirayama
27) Hotson
28) White
29) Braid
30) Smith

As much as I'd like to see young Taylor Paris included, the World Cup is probably a step too high. Come next WC, he'll be in the starting XV. As far as injury replacements go McKeen, Walsh, Hamilton, Eric Wilson, Scholz, and Duke are probably in the mix.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Looking forward to see how they will do. They are in a very hard pool.

 

[LittleGuy]

The depth in the back row is great, plenty of options to choose from Canada is fine from #6-8. It will be interesting to see how Pritchard is used whether it is at #11, 14, or 15, I would rather have him at fullback since I think he plays the position much better than Evans, but you want to get Evans into the lineup so where else would you put him.

I'm a little worried at Hooker, Riordan is the best of a bad lot, I kind of hope we don't see Pletch in the RWC.

 

[CDN_Rugby]

I'm a little worried at Hooker, Riordan is the best of a bad lot, I kind of hope we don't see Pletch in the RWC.

Me too. I didn't choose Pletch because he is any good, but because the cupboard is pretty bare. Him and Hamilton are a big step down from Riordan, who is a big step down from a lot of other international hookers. And I like Evans at fullback, he seems to be way more creative in attack than Pritchard.

 

[LittleGuy]

Me too. I didn't choose Pletch because he is any good, but because the cupboard is pretty bare. Him and Hamilton are a big step down from Riordan, who is a big step down from a lot of other international hookers. And I like Evans at fullback, he seems to be way more creative in attack than Pritchard.

Yeah that is by far our weakest position on the field Hooker, if something happens to Riordan I will hide under my couch at scrum time because it could get ugly.

I find Pritch a little more reliable defensively than Evans, I guess it will depend on the matchups of the particular game and what Canada needs. I trust Crowley to put the best team forward, and for once Canada seems to be playing 80 minute rugby in its games these days.

 

[Dougydeluxe]

I just hope we get an upset win.

 

[LittleGuy]

I just hope we get an upset win.

I would rate us as a tiny favourite over Tonga, the game against Japan intrigues me and will be a good show of our team's ability level, and third place puts us at the 2015 RWC without even having to bother qualifying and also results in some substantial IRB bonus money.