Canada’s Men’s U18s start Corendon Summer Tour with win over Belgium

Canada’s Men’s U18s got the Corendon Summer Tour underway with a 26-20 victory over Belgium on Saturday at the National Rugby Stadium in Amsterdam.

Tries by Owen Williams, Oliver Wigman, Morgan Di Nardo and Lenny Bonduau as well as a conversion apiece from Stephen Webb and Alex Gamage sealed the win.

On a breezy afternoon under an overcast sky, Williams got the scoring underway in the 11th minute to put Canada ahead before Belgium answered with consecutive scores – a try followed by a penalty – to make it 10-5 in their favour.

Wigman’s try, followed by Webb’s conversion and Di Nardo’s score one minute before half time, ensured Canada went into the break with a 19-10 advantage.

In the second half, Belgium responded with another converted try to make it 19-17, and a tense finish to the match saw them go in front via a penalty conversion. That was before Bonduau’s try secured the win for Canada with just five minutes on the clock. Marcus D’acre was named Player of the Match.

“I think the players showed well against a tough Belgium team,” said Canada U18s Head Coach Cory Hector. “While there were certainly some nerves, they showed some resilience and maturity to come from behind late in the game.

“Our bench definitely was a difference-maker with Calum Hayes, Lenny Bonduau and Ryan Dier making a big impact. There will still be plenty to work on over the next couple of days to prepare for the US.”

Next up for Canada’s Men’s U18s is a match against the USA on July 13. They will then round off their Corendon Summer Tour campaign with a clash versus host nation the Netherlands on July 16.