RWC warm-up: Canada beats Portugal at Nepean

Rugby Canada:

CANADA OVERCOMES SCRAPPY PORTUGAL 42 - 12

August 18, 2008
Ottawa, ON

Canada overcame a determined Portugal side to win the first international between the two nations, 42-12, at Twin Elm Park in Nepean on Saturday in front of 2,500 fans.

Canada found the visiting Portugal rugby team as pesky and as ‘game’ as the All-Blacks found Canada when the World’s #1 team played Canada their international match in New Zealand in June. The Portugal team, ranked 21st in the world, refused to succumb to relentless Canadian pressure, and presenting a well-organized and resolute defense in playing for a full eighty minutes. Indeed, similar to Canada against New Zealand, it scored an intercept try in the early going but, just as Canada had in the game in Hamilton, but a period of Canadian domination early in the second-half, similar to one the All-Blacks enjoyed against Canada, put the nail in Portugal’s coffin.

While Canada will gladly claim the victory, but found the Portugese more of a handful than they might have expected. The game shows that Canada needs to find more ways to break through tough defensive structures with more consistency. Although the home team scored three tries in each half, it left a good many begging that would have seen a more lop-sided score. Nevertheless, six tries to two clearly demonstrates the dominance Canada enjoyed over the totally amateur Iberians.

[Emphasis mine.] Click here to read Ian Kennedy's complete match report.

Canada - 42.
Tries: Mike Pyke, Adam Kleeberger, DTH van der Merwe (2), Mensah-Coker, David Spicer
Cons: James Pritchard (3)
Penalty: James Pritchard (2)

Portugal - 12.
Try: Diogo Mateus, Jose Pinto
Con: Pedro Leal

BTW did those Rugby Canada Network audio links work for anybody else? (See details in the Canada v. Portugal preview posting below.) The audio wouldn't launch for me. Didn't see the match on my local Rogers channel, either. Not sure what's going on, maybe a few wrinkles still to be ironed out for RCN.