Finishing runner-up at the World Rugby U20 Trophy last year didn’t produce any perks for coach Jeff Williams’ team.

The young Canadians will have to qualify for the second-tier world under-20 championship by heating the U.S. on Saturday in Austin, Texas. The winner will join hosts Zimbabwe, Fiji, Namibia, Spain, Hong Kong, Uruguay and Samoa in Harare at the April 19-May 1 tournament.

Playing at home, the Canadians defeated the U.S. 65-29 on aggregate in last year’s qualifier — a two-legged series played in B.C. Williams’ team then made it to the final of the U20 Trophy final, losing 49-24 to Georgia.

“It’s just the way it is,” Williams said of the need to re-qualify.

“Until we win it, which is the plan this year,” he added.

This time the qualifier is a one-off. The two teams will play in the evening after the Canada-U.S. test match in the Americas Rugby Championship.

The winner of the second-tier World Rugby U20 Trophy earns promotion to the elite World Rugby U20 tournament. The last-place team at the U20 tournament — Samoa in 2015 — is relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy.

Williams has eight returning players in his starting lineup: captain Andrew Coe, Phil Berna, Matt Tierney, Theo Sauder, Cali Martinez, Adrian Wadden, Reegan O’Gorman and Luke Bradley. Brendan Blaikie, another veteran of the tournament, starts on the bench.

Berna was with the Canadian sevens team at the recent tournament in Wellington, New Zealand. Trenton Cooper and Aaron Evison have played for the Maple Leafs, Canada’s developmental sevens side.

England’s Robbie Povey, whose mother is Canadian, starts at fly half. Captain Coe opens at fullback with George Barton, who plays for Clermont Auvergne’s age-group side in France, and Berna line up in the centre.

Williams and his coaching staff have devoted plenty of time to set pieces, feeling that it’s an area where the team fell short last year.

“I’m a heck of a lot more confident with our forwards’ play this year,” he said.

Williams expects to face a big. physical American side that will play a direct game.

“Unless we’re willing to stand up and tackle, it could be a long day for our boys,” said Williams.
“But I think we’re very prepared for them.”

Canada Roster

Cali Martinez, UBC Rugby Club, Vancouver; Andrew Quattrin, Aurora Barbarians, Holland Landing, Ont.; Matt Tierney, Pau (France), Oakville, Ont.; Reegan O’Gorman (Marist Albion), Vancouver; Conor Keys, UVic, Stittsville, Ont.; Adrian Wadden, Oakville Crusaders, Oakville, Ont.; Nakai Penny. UBC Thunderbirds, Courtenay, B.C.; Luke Bradley, UVic, Port Alberni, B.C.; Cole Keffer, UBC Thunderbirds, North Vancouver; Robbie Povey, Lutton RFC (England); Theo Sauder, UBC Thunderbirds, Vancouver; George Barton, Clermont Espoirs (France), Duncan, B.C.; Phil Berna, UBC Thunderbirds, Vancouver; Trenton Cooper, Oshawa Vikings, Zephyr, Ont.;Andrew Coe (capt.), UBC Thunderbirds, Toronto.

Replacements

Conor Sampson, UBC Thunderbirds, Vancouver; Brendan Blaikie, Queen’s University, Toronto; Curtis Delmonico, UBCOB Ravens, Vancouver; Matt Beukeboom, Queen’s University, Lindsay, Ont.; Peter Milazzo, Toronto Saracens, Toronto; Keaton Porter, Aurora Barbarians, Barrie, Ont.; Mitch Richardson, Stoney Creek Camels, Stoney Creek, Ont.; Aaron Evison, James Bay, Golden, B.C.

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