Canada has made four changes, two in the forwards and two in the backs, for its match against Chile Saturday in Santiago. "We aren't so much naming a starting line-up," said coach David Clark. "We are naming a squad and intend using the bench depending on how the game progresses."
Victoria prop Kevin Wirachowski, the oldest man in the squad at 38 years-old earns his first start of the season at tight-head. Wirachowski won his first cap in 1993 at Wembley against England and last took the field as a replacement against Scotland in June. He will earn his sixteenth cap on Saturday.
Also coming into the scrum, second-row Jamie Cudmore to earn his second cap, having won his first as a replacement against the USA in Chicago in July. "We have picked a pack that will counter the South American juggernaught. The Chileans showed in Calgary that they can maul just as well as the Uruguayans, so we must be prepared to counter that," added Clark.
In the backs Bob Ross, Canada's second highest scorer with 364 points, replaces James Bay club-mate Jared Barker at the pivotal outside-half spot. Ross will earn his forty-ninth cap in a career that began against Ireland in 1989. Calgary's Sean Fauth returns to the field for his nineteenth cap having sat on the bench against Uruguay in his first break in an eighteen game run. He comes in for Marco Di Girolamo and will play on the right wing.
"I expect a more expansive game. Chile has more balance to its game than Uruguay and plays the game more like we do. So I expect an entertaining, free-flowing match on Saturday and we look forward to getting back onto a proper-sized field with grass on it," said Clark.
Prop Chad Plater, who arrived in Chile on Wednesday, acquires a seat on the bench and with Nanaimo's Josh Jackson is the only other non-capped player in the squad.
Canada beat Chile 27-6 in its first encounter in Calgary on August 17 thus giving Canada a 21-point margin going into this match. Canada currently holds first place in the Americas zone World Cup qualifiers on games won and on points differential, but dearly wants to beat Chile to end its RWCQ campaign on a winning note, and to go to the World Cup in Australia next October on its own terms. IRB panel member Scott Young will referee the match.
Argentine-born Chile coach Jorge Navesi has selected the same starting line-up
as that which beat USA a week ago. With first-choice fly-half Christian Gonzalez unavailable for a second consecutive game, young Cristian Onetto will again take the field.
Captain at this year's IRB-FIRA-AER
U19 World Championship, Onetto was the star against the Eagles, scoring a late intercept try, one goal and three penalties.
"We have played against them and analysed them thoroughly. We know they
are very strong and have great speed. As a team we don't know how to play to that high speed, so we will try to play to our rhythm, rather than allowing them to dictate terms," explained Navesi.
"It is a very difficult game, not an impossible match - only very difficult."
He added with a grin "If we win we would have one foot in the World Cup.
If we don't we will have to buy huge oars to start rowing..."
Canada: 1. Rod Snow 2. Mark Lawson 3. Kevin Wirachowski 4. Ron Johnstone 5. Jamie Cudmore 6. Al Charron (Capt) 7. Adam van Staveren 8. Ryan Banks 9. Ed Fairhurst 10. Bob Ross 11. Sean Fauth 12. John Cannon 13. Nik Witkowski 14. Fred Asselin 15. Winston Stanley
Reserves: 16. Kevin Tkachuk 17.Chad Plater 18. Colin Yukes 19. Josh Jackson 20. Leif Carlson 21. Jared Barker 22. Marco Di Girolamo
Chile
1 - Rodrigo Lacassie, 2 - Jorge Pollak, 3 - Sebastian Gajardo, 4 - Sergio Valdes, 5 - Alfonso Escobar (captain), 6 - Sebastian Garcia, 7 - Edmundo Olfos, 8 - Cristian Manssur, 9 - Nicolas Arancibia, 10 - Cristian Onetto, 11 - Cristobal Berti, 12 - Sebastian Pinto, 13 - Sebastian Pizarro, 14 - Cristian Sahid, 15 - Bernardo Garcia
Replacements: Juan Ignacio Fuentes, Luis Pavez, Benjamin Holmes, Nicolas
Contreras, Roberto Infante, Sebastian Calleja and Rodrigo Coda