Canada’s men’s national rugby league team the Wolverines put in a valiant effort, but in the end came up short as they were beaten 22-10 by Scotland in the second match of their European tour. The game was played Sunday in Hawick in the east Southern Uplands of Scotland.
The Scots got on the board early when centre Connor Slader finished off some slick passing to break clear and run about 40 meters to the try zone in the first minute of play. George Shannon converted the score before the Canadians hit back about five minutes later when hooker Nathan Roberts crashed over the line behind some sustained pressure by Canada. Jalen Harrison converted to tie the scores at 6-6.
The teams were pretty evenly matched so gaining any kind of advantage was a tough slog for both sides through the first quarter of the match. However, the Bravehearts were the ones who broke the tie at the 28-minute mark when prop Kieran Moran forced his way across the line for the score. It followed a series of penalties given up by the Wolverines. Shannon’s conversion attempt was no good.
Scotland went in again about two minutes after that when winger Cameron Cullen finished off some good lead up work, but again the attempted conversion was awry. Towards the end of the half, both teams were guilty of dropping passes and slipping off tackles, so there was no addition to the scoreline with the home team taking a 14-6 lead into the main break. The Canadians had to make some personnel changes during the halftime intermission following injuries to several players in the first half, including to captain and halfback Blake Mahovic.
The Scots extended their lead not long after the second half got underway when backrower Hamish Bentley evaded several tacklers to score out wide. Shannon shanked his third consecutive shot at goal to leave the scoreline at 18-6. The Wolverines started the second forty in much the same way they’d finished off the first half with some missed tackles and errant passes, which meant they couldn’t make much headway and gave an advantage to the Bravehearts.
As a consequence, Scotland’s Slader notched his double for the day scoring out wide following some more sustained Scottish pressure, but another wayward conversion left the score at 22-6 in Scotland’s favour. The Wolverines finally started to find their mojo and reversed the trend when Matt Fish barrelled his way over the line from about 20 metres out to score an impressive individual try. The attempted conversion missed, leaving Scotland in front with a 12-point cushion with a little more than 20 minutes left on the clock.
Although both teams mounted what at times looked to be promising build-ups, neither one could convert them into points throughout the final quarter of the match, and as such, the Bravehearts went on to clinch victory. Canada’s final game of the tour is against the Netherlands on Saturday, July 11th.
SCOTLAND 22
Tom Gray, Cameron Cullen, Connor Slader, Jacob Grierson, Tawa Roserutabua, George Shannon, Joseph Lowe, Connor Terril, Ross Whitmore, Kieran Moran, Gregor Cowan, Hamish Bentley, Oliver Maher
Interchanges: Ben Morris, Niall Hall, Jordan Duncan, Andrew Brown
Tries: Slader (2, 49), Moran (29), Cullen (34), Bentley (42)
Goals: Shannon 1/5, Lowe 0/1
CANADA 10
Oliver Lenahan, Jalen Harrison, Flynn Murphy, Luka Wicken, Richard Lebel, Toby Horn, Blake Mahovic, Matthew Fish, Nathan Roberts, Charles Curran, Augustus Murphy, Jason Chuck, Mitchell Talbot.
Interchanges: Jacob Bourne, Jordan Cella, Doug Howard, Michael Snook,
Tries: Roberts (4), Fish (57)
Goals: Harrison 1/2
Referee: Denton Arnold (England)
Half Time: 14-6
