CANADA LOSE CAPTAIN LAWSON THROUGH INJURY
Lawson only discovered when he had the injury X-rayed on his return home that he had suffered a broken arm in the dying minutes of Canada’s recent Super Cup winning match against Japan. Lawson led Canada to wins over the USA and Japan and has 21 caps. Lawson played in two positions while leading Canada at the Super Cup – in Canada’s 30-26 win over the USA he played hooker and in the 15-10 victory over Japan he played flanker.
Brantford’s Aaron Carpenter, who played extremely well in his first two games for Canada at the Super Cup, replaces Lawson in the Canada squad. Canadian professional Mike James, who plays for beaten 2005 Heineken Cup finalists Stade Francais Paris, is also out of contention for Canada’s summer international games because of having end-of-season elbow surgery.
Other overseas internationals – London-Irish No. 8 Philip Murphy, Llanelli prop John Thiel and former Dragons prop Rod Snow – have all been forced to decline the offer of playing in Canada’s test against Wales for personal and professional reasons.
“All professional players were considered and were asked to participate in the Wales International but we think that, even with their absences, the current selected Canadian squad is very solid, fit, enthusiastic, hard-working group of players who will undoubtedly give a very good account of themselves,” said Canada manager Bob McGeein. “Even though some of the professionals had to decline for this game they are all still in the mix and will be asked to participate in other upcoming matches and we hope they will be free to play.”
Meanwhile the Canadian squad will be bolstered by the addition of five more professional players who return home for the game. They join five other Canadian professional players already home from their overseas clubs who recently toured with Canada to the Super Cup in Japan. Canada’s National Coach Ric Suggitt retains 17 players from that winning squad for the Toronto encounter.
Canada will count on the experience of Coventry centre John Cannon; Grenoble flanker Jamie Cudmore; Leonessa No. 8 or flanker Josh Jackson; Agen lock or flanker Colin Yukes and Saracens scrum-half Morgan Williams when facing the 2005 Grand Slam champions.
Together they bring over 100 caps worth of talent to the table with Morgan Williams having amassed 37 caps, six of them in the 1999 and 2003 World Cups.
Add to them the return of 37-times capped hooker Pat Dunkley, who last played against Argentina in 2003 and who tragically injured himself in training prior to the first game of the World Cup in Australia.
Five professionals – Glasgow’s Kevin Tkachuk, Benevento’s Garth Cooke, Edinburgh’s Mike Pyke, Trinity’s Forrest Gainer and the Ospreys’ Luke Tait – retained from the Super Cup, gives Suggitt plenty of options. Coming back into the squad after being unavailable for the Japan tour is lock Mike Burak, who won seven caps last year.
Two players joining the Canada squad for the first time are New Brunswick Black Spruce centre Simon Pacey and Toronto Xtreme outside half Simon Rodgers. The Canada squad will arrive in Toronto today (June 5) to begin preparations for the match.
CANADA SQUAD TO PLAY WALES
Aaron Abrams (Mississauga, ON; Castaway-Wanderers)
Mike Burak (Vancouver, BC; U.B.C. Old Boy Ravens)
Garth Cooke (Merritt, BC; Benevento)
John Cannon (Abbotsford, BC; Coventry)
Jamie Cudmore (Squamish, BC; Grenoble)
Derek Daypuck (London, ON; Castaway-Wanderers)
Pat Dunkley (Victoria, BC: James Bay AA)
Ed Fairhurst (Victoria, BC; University of Victoria)
Pat Fleck (Vancouver, BC; Meralomas)
Quentin Fyffe (Calgary, AB; Calgary Irish)
Forrest Gainer (Sherwood Park, AB; Trinity University)
Josh Jackson (Nanaimo, BC; Leonessa)
Matt King (Toronto, ON; Balmy Beach)
Mark Lawson (Vancouver, BC; Velox-Valhallians)
Stan McKeen (Vancouver, BC; Pacific Pride)
Simon Pacey (Fredericton, NB; Fredericton Loyalists)
Dan Pletch (Lucan, ON; Oakville Crusaders)
Mike Pyke (Victoria, BC; Edinburgh Rugby)
Stirling Richmond (N. Vancouver, BC; Vancouver Rowing Club)
Simon Rodgers (Toronto, ON; Balmy Beach)
Ryan Smith (Caledon, ON; Brampton Beavers)
Luke Tait (Barrie, ON; Ospreys)
Kevin Tkachuk (Regina, SK; Glasgow Rugby)
Dean Van Camp (Port Perry, ON; Aurora Barbarians)
Mike Webb (West Vancouver, BC; Swilers)
Morgan Williams (Cole Harbour, NS; Saracens)
Colin Yukes (Edmonton, AB; Agen)
