by Canada ended a long day on a winning note, beating Uruguay 26-10 at the Los Angeles Sevens to snap an eight-game losing streak.
The game ended early on Sunday after a weather-delayed schedule.
Conditions were a factor throughout the day at Dignity Health Sports Park with the pitch wet from steady rain, making for difficult handling conditions. The threat of lightning stopped proceedings twice for more than 90 minutes.
SEE | Los Angeles Men’s Rugby World Series Sevens — Canada vs Uruguay:
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Watch Canada play Uruguay at the HSBC Men’s World Rugby League stop in Los Angeles.
Canada put up stiff resistance before dropping a 12-0 decision to South Africa to open pool play on Saturday.
The weather forced the players off the field during the ninth match of the day between Great Britain and Spain. The teams eventually came back and five more games were played. But conditions did not improve and play was stopped again during the Canada-Ireland match with the Irish leading 5-0.
The Irish, who are ninth in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, scored 17 unanswered points when play resumed with a 22-0 win over No. 14 Canada.
SEE | Los Angeles Men’s Rugby World Series Sevens — Canada vs. Ireland:
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Watch Canada play Ireland in the HSBC Men’s Rugby World Cup Sevens Series stop in Los Angeles.
The Canadians finally had a reason to celebrate against No. 11 Uruguay.
After going down 5-0, Canada pulled ahead 7-5 at the break on a Lockie Kratz converted try. After Baltazar Amaya’s try put the South Americans ahead 10-7, Canada managed three tries – two from Jake Thiel and one from Thomas Isherwood – to register the victory.
Uruguay was coming off a 10-5 win in No. 2 South Africa.
Vancouver is hosting on March 3-5
The LA tournament is the sixth stop on the men’s HSBC Rugby World Sevens Series. Next up is the March 3-5 Canada Sevens, for both men and women, in Vancouver.
South Africa has beaten Canada in 30 of the last 31 meetings, with one win coming in 2020 at the Canada Sevens when Canada won 26-19 to finish third.
Thiel’s try was ruled out for Canada in the first half against South Africa after video review showed the Canadian’s foot was out of bounds before he touched the ball down.
Christie Grobbelaar finally put South Africa on the board on the stroke of half-time after Ricardo Duarttee’s line break started close to the Blitzboks’ try line.
Canada threatened midway through the second half but the onslaught ended when they were penalized on the break.
Canada’s Josiah Morra was booked late in the game as South Africa took advantage of a scrum and Duarttee went through the Canadian defense with the man advantage for a converted try and a 12-0 lead.
Andrew Smith scored after the hooter to give Ireland a 7-0 win over Uruguay in the other early Pool B game.
In danger of relegation
Down in the standings, the Canadian men are in danger of relegation.
The 15th-placed core team will be relegated after the 10th round in Toulouse on May 12-14. The 12th, 13th and 14th-placed teams at the end of Toulouse will enter a four-team relegation match along with the winners of the 2023 Challenger League at the 11th and League finals in London on May 20-21.
The relegation match will be a round robin format and the top two teams will meet in the final. The winner will become the 12th core team for the 2024 Series, while the other three teams will enter their respective Regional Sevens Championships to qualify for the 2024 Challenger Rugby Sevens World Series.
The top four men’s and women’s teams at the end of the season will automatically qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics. New Zealand’s men are currently top of the table, ahead of South Africa, Samoa and France.
The Canadian women are currently 10th in the standings.
Winless in Sydney
Canada’s men are coming off a 15th-place finish in Sydney, Australia, where they lost all five matches, beaten by Argentina (24-19), Australia (22-7) and Great Britain (33-5). in the pool. 35-14 against Tonga, an invitational team, and 17-14 to Spain in the consolation game.
They were 14th in New Zealand, Dubai and Cape Town after opening the season with a 10th place finish in Hong Kong.
Canada interim coach Sean White called up Matt Percillier and Jack Carson for the first time this season. Both earned their first caps for the Seventies team in September 2021 in Vancouver.
The 21-year-old has received a short-term release from UBC to join the Canadian team in LA and Vancouver.
