Canada opened up their November tour with a 28-23 loss to a squad of players from the Greene King IPA Championship league.

The Championship is England's 2nd division pro league and features many up-and-coming players, pros from around Europe and the world, and longtime professionals. It was that experience and savvy that saw the Championship XV through.

Canada started well and took and early lead when flanker Kyle Gilmour scored from a lineout. But the Championship team replied through No. 8 Mark Bright. In a back-and-forth match Canada retook the lead and were ahead 11-7. Then a Nick Blevins try made it 18-7.

The Championship team replied in the second half. Fullback Jack Tovey capped off a nice movement, and then flanker Marco Mana finished off another odd-man rush to make it 21-18 Championship.

Canada replied to retake the lead, but then with time winding down scrumhalf Johnny Arr raced around on a scrum move and stretched to the corner. John Moonlight tackled him and perhaps rolled him into touch, and Arr stretch for the line, but after a long replay pause, it was deemed Arr touched the ball down just short of the line, and just before he was rolled into touch.

A five-meter scrum was given and after several phases, James Phillips went over for the game-winner.

“I thought the first half we played pretty well, but we gave away two quick tries to start the second half and it was an arm wrestle after that," said Canada Head Coach Kieran Crowley. "A number of things didn’t go our way. t was a disappointing result for us.”

Canada now look ahead to Namibia in Colwyn Bay, Wales, on Nov 7. Then they take on Samoa in Vannes, France, followed by Romania in Bucharest.

“Ahead of the Namibia game we need to get better at everything we’re doing," said Crowley. "We took 14 penalties today, and so did they, and we had a sin bin which didn’t help us; we need to tidy up our discipline. We’ve got to be more accurate for the full 80 minutes. We dropped the kick off at the start of the second half and that put us under pressure and they scored a try. We had chances to put them away but the passes were too high; It’s just the little skills that we need to get better because you can get away without them in competitions back home, but you can’t get away with those mistakes in international rugby.”

Canada 23
Tries: Gilmour, McRorie 2
Con: Pritchard
Pen: Pritchard 2

Championship XV 28
Tries: Bright, Tovey, Mama, Phillips
Con: Rayner 3, Hallett