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Canada set to close out RWC repechage against Hong Kong

Bryan Kelly
Rugby 15s Senior Men

MARSEILLE, FRANCE (November 22, 2018) – Canada head coach Kingsley Jones has named his starting team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup repechage finale against Hong Kong on Friday.  

Hubert Buydens, a 2011 & 2015 Rugby World Cup veteran who hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is set to win his 50thcap at loosehead prop alongside Ray Barkwill and Matt Tierney in the front row. Canada will once again be captained by veteran scrum half Phil Mack.
 
Friday sees the return of Barrie, Ontario’s Taylor Paris, who last represented Canada against Uruguay in Montevideo in February. The 26-year-old winger replaces Matt Evans, who is unavailable due to injury, and is the only change in the roster that defeated Germany 29-10 last Saturday.
 
With two bonus point wins from two so far, Canada needs just one competition point to book their spot in Japan next year. However, with a bonus point victory against Kenya last Saturday, Hong Kong’s World cup dream is still alive and will be targeting a bonus point victory Friday night.
 
“Hong Kong has shown consistently that they’re an excellent team. They came into the tournament as favourites and we see this game as our biggest challenge to date,” said Jones from France.
 
Canada last won three test matches in a row in 2013 when they defeated USA, Fiji and Tonga as part of their June Summer Series in Edmonton, Ottawa & Kingston.
 
“It’s another big test for the group, to win three internationals consecutively is a challenge for any national team, this is the challenge we face. We are two from two in this competition and we are fully focused on our goal this Friday,” added Jones.   
 
“The support we have had here in France and back home has been excellent. It’s been a long year for the entire group and we’re looking to end off our campaign with a result the entire nation can be proud of.”
 
Kick off on Friday is 3pm ET/12pm PT and fans in Canada can watch LIVE via TSN 1 & 4.
 
Canada’s roster to face Hong Kong:

1. Hubert Buydens – NOLA Gold/Prairie Wolf Pack (Saskatoon, SK)
2. Ray Barkwill – Seattle Seawolves/Ontario Blues (Niagara Falls, ON) 
3. Matt Tierney – Pau/Ontario Blues (Oakville, ON)
4. Mike Sheppard – Stoney Creek Camels/Ontario Blues (Brampton, ON)
5. Evan Olmstead – Auckland/Prairie Wolf Pack (Vancouver, BC)
6. Kyle Baillie – Westshore RFC/Atlantic Rock (Summerside, PEI)
7. Lucas Rumball – Balmy Beach RFC/Ontario Blues (Mississauga, ON)
8. Tyler Ardron – Chiefs/Ontario Blues (Lakefield, ON) 
9. Phil Mack – Captain,Seattle Seawolves/BC Bears (Victoria, BC)
10. Gordon McRorie – Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack (Calgary, AB)
11. DTH van der Merwe – Glasgow Warriors (Victoria, BC) 
12. Ciaran Hearn – London Irish/Atlantic Rock (Conception Bay South, NL)
13. Ben LeSage – UBC Thunderbirds/Prairie Wolf Pack (Calgary, AB)
14. Taylor Paris – Castres Olympique/Ontario Blues (Barrie, ON
15. Theo Sauder – UBC Thunderbirds/BC Bears (Vancouver, BC)
16. Eric Howard – NOLA Gold/Ontario Blues (Ottawa, ON)
17. Djustice Sears-Duru – Unattached/Ontario Blues (Oakville, ON)
18. Jake Ilnicki – Yorkshire Carnegie/BC Bears (Williams Lake, BC)
19. Brett Beukeboom – Cornish Pirates/Ontario Blues (Lindsay, ON)
20. Matt Heaton – Darlington Mowden Park/Atlantic Rock (Godmanchester, QC)
21. Jamie Mackenzie – Balmy Beach/Atlantic Rock (Oakville, ON)
22. Nick Blevins – Calgary Hornets/Prairie Wolf Pack (Calgary, AB) 
23. Conor Trainor – USON Nevers/BC Bears (Vancouver, BC)

Rugby World Cup 2019 Repechage Schedule
 
November 11
Canada 65 - 19 Kenya
 
November 17
Canada 29 - 10 Germany

November 23
Canada vs. Hong Kong
Stade Delort 
Marseille, France
Kick off: 3pm ET/12pm PT

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