Canada Battle Hard in Sendai but Fall 57-15 to Japan in Pacific Nations Cup

Canada Battle Hard in Sendai but Fall 57-15 to Japan in Pacific Nations Cup

Saturday, August 30, 2025 (Sendai, Japan) – Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team held their own for 50 minutes in Sendai, but a late surge from Japan saw the Brave Blossoms pull away for a 57-15 victory in Saturday’s Pacific Nations Cup pool stage clash at Yurtec Stadium.

The result leaves Canada with one win and one defeat from pool play after last week’s 34-20 victory over the United States in Calgary. With all six sides convening in Denver for the Pacific Nations Cup play-offs in mid-September, Canada remains firmly in contention for qualification to the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Japan struck early through No. 8 Amato Fakatava, who powered over from a 5m scrum in the third minute, before fly-half Seung-sin Lee added a penalty to give the hosts a 10-0 advantage. Canada hit back strongly as flanker Siôn Parry finished off a rolling maul in the 24th minute, with Peter Nelson’s conversion and subsequent penalty drawing the visitors level at 10-10.

A yellow card to Japanese lock Waisake Raratubua opened the door further, but it was the Brave Blossoms who struck next, with captain Warner Dearns finishing under the posts to restore a 17-10 lead at the break.

Canada continued to press early in the second half, generating repeated attacking lineouts inside Japan’s 22 and threatening to score again. But the home side held firm and, after weathering the pressure, turned on the style in the final half-hour.

Fakatava grabbed his second try before fullback Sam Greene, flanker Ben Gunter, substitute Tomoki Osada and winger Kippei Ishida (twice) all crossed in quick succession. Jesse Mackail pulled one back for Canada with his first international try in the 79th minute, peeling off the back of a maul to muscle across, but Japan had the final say, with Ishida’s second capping a run of 40 second-half points to close the contest.

This match marked the first occasion Canada has played in Sendai since 2009, and the first time the team was back within the Tōhoku region since the 2019 Rugby World Cup when Canada’s scheduled match against Namibia was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis. Canada’s players, after the cancellation, stayed in Kamaishi and helped residents clean up debris and mud from the storm. This act of solidarity was widely praised and remembered as one of the most touching stories of the 2019 World Cup.

With Canada's PNC pool stage now complete, the second-place team must wait to learn its fate; the USA require a four-try bonus point victory over Japan when the two sides meet in California next Saturday – and must finish their pool play with a superior points differential to Canada’s -28 – to take Canada’s place in the PNC semi-final.

Post-Match Reaction

Lucas Rumball (Captain):

“We stuck well in it in the first 40. I think our game plan was good. But credit to Japan, they adjusted well at the half. We stuck with it for a bit there, but they overcame us in the last 20.”

“We just couldn’t hold on to the ball when we had chances inside their 22. It comes down to discipline in the carry and cleanout, and maybe some passes we pushed. At the end of the day, you’ve got to take care of the ball, and we didn’t do that.”

Stephen Meehan (Head Coach):

“We’ve really enjoyed our time in Japan. From playing last Friday night and making the travel over, spending some days in Tokyo, training hard, and then coming up here to Sendai, people have been fantastic to us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite replicate the same levels as we did last week [against USA], but we’ll go away and keep working on things.”

“At halftime we wanted to improve our work at the breakdown — body height, leg drive, support players, and clearance. But it was against a very physical defensive effort from Japan. That just means we’ve got to keep working on certain areas of our game.”

CANADA SCORING SUMMARY  

Tries: Sion Parry (23’), Jesse Mackail (79’)
Conversions: Peter Nelson (24’)
Penalty Goals: Peter Nelson (30’)

UP NEXT FOR CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM

All six Pacific Nations Cup sides (Canada, United States, Japan, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji) will convene in Denver, Colorado in September for the Pacific Nations Cup play-offs, with the semi-finals and fifth place play-off taking place on September 14 in Denver, and the final and third place play-off taking place on September 20 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The top three teams from the tournament will qualify for the Rugby World Cup (minus Fiji and Japan, who have already qualified); the last placed team at the conclusion of the tournament will then look to qualify through the South America / Pacific Play-off.

More information about the Pacific Nations Cup can be found here.

CANADA’S MEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs JAPAN

1.  Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) -  Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC
2.  Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
3.  Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
4.  Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) - New England Free Jacks
5.  Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
6.  Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC
7.  Lucas Rumball (Scarborough, ON) – Balmy Beach RFC / Chicago Hounds
8.  Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride / Chicago Hounds
9.  Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution / Chicago Hounds 
10.  Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC   
11.  Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Utah Warriors
12.  Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) - Hamilton Old Boys / Utah Warriors
13.  Ben LeSage (Calgary, AB) – Calgary Canucks / New England Free Jacks 
14.  Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) - New England Free Jacks / Toronto Saracens 
15.  Shane O’Leary (Cork, IRE) - Ballina Killaloe RFC / Miami Sharks
 
FINISHERS

16. Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZ) – Bayside RFC / Seattle Seawolves
17. Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) - Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC / Utah Warriors
18. Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
19. Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – James Bay AA / NOLA Gold
20. Matt Heaton (Godmanchester, QC) -  Ormstown Saracens / RFC LA
21. Stephen Webb (Toronto, ON) - Balmy Beach RFC / University of British Columbia  
22. Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds 
23. Brenden Black (Oakville, ON) - Oakville Crusaders / University of Guelph