So even though I said I was giving up on this forum due to the lack of Tier 2 activity I have decided to change my mind due to the excellent Canadian Rugby coverage here. I'll probably just stick to the Tier 2 sub-forum though.
My thoughts on the June Tour from a Canadian perspective:
Enough with the negativity ladies and gents, these were three hard tests against quality opponents and unfortunately we came out on the losing end in what was three close games. Japan is 13-2 in their last 15 games and that includes wins over Wales, Samoa and Italy. They are a quality team with a lot of good players who all play professional rugby in an increasingly competitive Japanese Top league. they also have four players on their team that regularly start for Super Rugby franchises (in key positions like fly-half and scrum-half might I add). They have also had our number the past few tests we played against them.
Scotland are a Tier-1 nation with a completely professional setup and the fact that we were able to push them to the limit in a game we arguably should have won bodes well for our program.
As for our loss to the USA, our games against them are always close and while we have maintained a winning record going back to 2009 against them a few of those wins should have been for the States and we were lucky to come away with a scalp. they have quality players and are improving just like us.
The fact is, rugby is getting more competitive at the top level, their is still a wide gap between the Big 5 (NZ, SA, Aus, Eng and Fra) and the rest but the Pro12 Nationsand Argentina are all beatable now and their is very little difference between any of the Tier 2 nations (Tonga, Samoa,Fiji, Canada, USA, Japan, Romania and Georgia). We can all beat each other on any given day.
Alot of people are blaming our losses on Rugby Canada paying more attention to 7's and less attention to XV's. I don't buy that Sevens rugby has been detrimental to our XV's in fact I think it's the opposite. Some of our best playerts on this tour have been our Sevens players, Ciaran Hearn has been fantastic and surely deserves a professional contract. Same goes for John Moonlight.
We are deficient in a few key positions though, our front row needs work. While Marshall and Buydens are half decent starters and both playing pro in NZ, we have a large drop off in quality with the next available LH and TH props, it's the same at hooker with Carpenter. Barkwill is decent but I see him more as an impact sub coming off the bench.
We are also incredibly weak at Fly Half and Inside Centre. Jones had a great game against Scotland and the US and I think he has played well and earned the starting fly half jersey but again we run into the problem of who takes over for him coming off the bench? Blevins had a terrible tour and needs to be dropped.
Overall though, I see a lot of positives going forward from this team. We have better players playing right now then we have ever had it's just that, so does everyone else and we need to keep that in mind going forward.
EDIT:
I am also going to come out and question the coaching decisions made this tour. Some of them were shocking TBH. Subbing half the bench at half time against the Americans when we had them on the ropes was a truly shocking decision. We have had a string of these decisions this June and it has made me question if Crowley has lost the plot a little? Putting McRorie on against Scotland in a close game when Phil Mack was playing so well? Keeping Blevins in the starting lineup? So many shocking decisions with so few answers.
