The British & Irish Lions were away on tour in South Africa, taking with them the likes of Dai Young, Ieuan Evans, Scott Gibbs, Allan Bateman, Rob Howley, Neil Jenkins, Scott Quinnell and Barry Williams, so it was very much a development side that Kevin Bowring took with him on a six match tour.
02 July: USA South    3 – 94 Wales XV Davidson College, Charlotte
05 July: United States 20 – 30 Wales    Brook Fields, Wilmington
08 July: USA Dev XV  23 – 55 Wales XV Boxer Stadium, San Francisco
12 July: United States 23 – 28 Wales    Boxer Stadium, San Francisco
16 July: Ontario 10 – 54 Wales XV Mowhawk Sports Park, Hamilton
19 July: Canada 25 – 28 Wales    Fletcher’s Field, Markham
The game against a Gareth Rees led Canadian side was the final fixture and the home side went into the game seeking revenge for their 33-15 defeat at the same venue three years earlier. That victory had erased the bitter memory of one of Canada’s greatest victories, the 26-24 triumph over Wales in Cardiff in 1993.
The game ebbed and flowed on a day when the sun shone, but play was affected by a 40km wind. Wales played into the breeze in the first half and led 15-11, including a brilliant break away try from their own 22 by Wayne Proctor.
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But the tough-as-teak Canadians clawed their way back into the contest and when No 8 Mike Schmid ploughed over for his second try of the game they led 25-21 with 10 minutes to go.
Bowring had given test debuts to lock Steve Moore and flanker Rob Appleyard and Paul John led the side from scrum half. Only five of the side had appeared in the Five Nations earlier in the year.
By contrast, Canad were virtually at full strength and had already won five of six tests that year including four on the trot. They fielded the team that would go on to form the basis of their Rugby World Cup 1999 squad.
There were many faces that would go on to become very familiar to Welsh fans in the Canadian line-up. Rees played for Newport, as did prop Rod Snow, while lock John Tait and full back Bobby Ross went on to become Cardiff regulars.
Rees and Al Charron are both in the World Rugby Hall of Fame, while Mike James played for a long time in France and Winston Stanley joined Leicester Tigers.
There was an edge in the air from the start as not only the home players, but also the capacity crowd of 7,000 at Fletcher’s Field, saw the Canadians as favourites to notch another famous win.
CANADA: Bob Ross; Winston Stanley, David Lougheed, Scott Bryan, Scott Stewart; Gareth Rees (captain), John Graf; Eddie Evans (Richard Bice 54), Kevin Morgan (Mark Cardinal 41), Rod Snow, Mike James, John Tait, Al Charron, John Hutchinson, Mike Schmid
Reps Unused: Rob Card, Ron Toews, Richard Bice, Tony Healy, Ian Gordon
Scorers: Tries: M Schmid 2, B Ross; Cons: G Rees2; Pen: G Rees; DG: B Ross
WALES: Kevin Morgan; Wayne Proctor, Leigh Davies, Gareth Thomas, Nigel Walker; Arwel Thomas, Paul John (captain); Ian Buckett, Garin Jenkins, Lyndon Mustoe (Chris Anthony 74), Steve Moore, Mike Voyle, Andrew Gibbs (Nathan Thomas 54), Rob Appleyard, Steve Williams
Reps Unused: Neil Boobyer, Lee Jarvis, Andrew Moore, Robin McBryde
Scorers: Tries: W Proctor, G Thomas, L Davies; Cons: A Thomas 2; Pens; A Thomas 3
Referee: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)
