Canada will take their next steps under new coach Steve Meehan against Spain in Edmonton on Friday night. Last week’s showing against Belgium exposed their inexperienced backline, but some reinforcements will bolster the lineup this week. Los Leones meanwhile are looking to make it two-from-two on their North American tour after flying past the Eagles in Charlotte on Saturday.
Current World Ranking: 24 (57.96 points)
2025-07-12 – Canada 18, Belgium 25 (Edmonton)
2024-11-16 – Romania 35, Canada 27 (Bucharest)
2024-11-09 – Canada 14, Chile 44 (Bucharest)
2024-09-14 – Tonga 30, Canada 17 (Tokyo)
2024-08-31 – USA 28, Canada 15 (Carson)
Current World Ranking: 15 (68.91 points)
2025-07-12 – USA 20, Spain 31 (Charlotte)
2025-03-16 – Georgia 46, Spain 28 (Tbilisi)
2025-03-01 – Portugal 31, Spain 42 (Oeiras)
2025-02-16 – Spain 32, Georgia 62 (Madrid)
2025-02-09 – Switzerland 13, Spain 43 (Yverdon-les-Bains)
 |
IN | OUT |
| 5 | Evan Olmstead | Izzak Kelly |
| 6 | Sion Parry | Matt Heaton |
| 9 | Jason Higgins | Brock Gallagher |
| 12 | Spencer Jones | Talon McMullin |
| 15 | Peter Nelson | Brenden Black |
|
IN | OUT |
| 1 | Thierry Futeu | Bernardo Vázquez |
| 3 | Joaquín Domínguez | Jon Zabala |
| 9 | Kerman Aurrekotxea | Tani Bay |
| 11 | Pau Aira | Gauthier Minguillón |
| 13 | Iñaki Mateu | Álvar Gimeno |
- Evan Olmstead returns to the Canadian side for the first time since the 2019 World Cup… the 34-year-old lock won 33 caps before his hiatus, and has been a regular starter for Agen in the French Pro D2 for the past three years… the only other change in the pack is rotation on the flank with Sion Parry getting the start this week… Utah Warriors prop Emerson Prior is set for his test debut
- Jason Higgins, Spencer Jones, and Peter Nelson add experience to a backline that was overwhelmed at times by the Belgian speed… there are three youngsters on the bench including uncapped Stephen Webb… he has previously played for both Canada and Hong Kong at u20 level and is the son of the late Bill Webb, founder and majority owner of the now-defunct Toronto Arrows
- it’s the 60th test appearance for captain Lucas Rumball, who debuted in 2016… the 29-year-old loose forward led Chicago to an Eastern Conference Final in Major League Rugby… while Rumball is been used primarily at flanker during his test career, he suited up at No8 for the Hounds
- Spain coach Pablo Bouza has largely opted for continuity with only a handful of changes, effectively all rotation with the exception of tighthead prop where Jon Zabala is rested this week
- Los Leones field a stronger team on paper than they did two years ago when they beat Canada comfortably in La Vila… there are 10 returnees from that day’s squad… the Maple Leafs have 9 players who featured in that game, with their overall strength roughly on par with that group
- this is Canada’s final test before next month’s Pacific Nations Cup that also doubles as the start of their 2027 World Cup qualification cycle… Spain already booked their place in Australia earlier this year
Steve Meehan (Head Coach)
“The team’s focus this week has been about how we balance our style of play. We had moments last Saturday that were effective and exciting to watch and play and other moments that learning from will improve our performance. Spain is another tough opponent, but we are all excited to get back on the field with another home crowd to support us.”
Los Leones got off to a rocket start against the Eagles, capitalising on early errors to build an early lead that was ultimately too much for the USA to overcome. They arrive confident and while they aren’t a physically imposing side, they have a respectable kicking game with speed out wide. Canada will look to get the edge in the scrum with Zabala’s strength a loss for the Leones. Jones adds distributing ability to the midfield and could help to free the likes of Flesch and Morra in the wider channels. An improved showing can be expected but this is a clear step up in opposition. Spain are favorites in Edmonton.
CANADA
1 Cali Martinez, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 3 Cole Keith, 4 Piers von Dadelszen, 5 Evan Olmstead, 6 Sion Perry, 7 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 8 Matthew Oworu, 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Cooper Coats, 11 Josiah Morra, 12 Spencer Jones, 13 Noah Flesch, 14 Isaac Olson, 15 Peter Nelson
Replacements: 16 Dewald Kotze, 17 Emerson Prior, 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Izzak Kelly, 20 Matt Heaton, 21 Stephen Webb, 22 Kyle Tremblay, 23 Brenden Black
SPAIN
1 Thierry Futeu, 2 Álvaro García (capt.), 3 Joaquín Domínguez, 4 Matt Foulds, 5 Asier Usárraga, 6 Ignacio Piñeiro, 7 Matheo Triki, 8 Raphaël Nieto, 9 Kerman Aurrekotxea, 10 Gonzalo Vinuesa, 11 Pau Aira, 12 Gonzalo López, 13 Iñaki Mateu, 14 Martiniano Cian, 15 JW Bell
Replacements: 16 Vicente Del Hoyo, 17 Bernardo Vázquez, 18 Lucas Santamaría, 19 Imanol Urraza, 20 Ekain Imaz, 21 Tani Bay, 22 Álvar Gimeno, 23 Gauthier Minguillón
Date: Friday, July 18
Venue: Clarke Stadium, Edmonton
Kickoff: 19:00 local (18:00 Pacific, 21:00 Eastern, Saturday 03:00 Spain)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 72°F (22°C), wind SE 5-7mph (8-11km/h)
Broadcasts: TSN 2 (Canada), RugbyPass TV
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)
Assistants: Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina) & Luke Rogan (USA)
TMO: Mike Kelly (USA)
HEAD-TO-HEAD (4): Spain 2, Canada 2
2023-11-11 – Spain 42, Canada 20 (Villajoyosa)
2022-07-10 – Canada 34, Spain 57 (Ottawa)
2017-11-18 – Spain 27, Canada 37 (Madrid)
2010-11-13 – Spain 22, Canada 60 (Madrid)
