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TORONTO -- Canadian rugby coach Kieran Crowley has reinforced his team for the November visit of the New Zealand Maori All Blacks but will still have to do without some key players. LaDainian Tomlinson . Players unavailable due to club commitments or injury include Brett Buekeboom, Jamie Cudmore, Tom Dolezel, Sean Duke, Tyler Hotson, Phil Mackenzie, Jason Marshall, Nathan Hirayama, James Pritchard, Jebb Sinclair and DTH Van Der Merwe.. Canada hosts the Maori at Torontos BMO Field on Nov. 3. The tourists then head to Philadelphia to play the U.S. Eagles on Nov. 10. The touring Maori roster features six former All Blacks including Corey Flynn, Zac Guildford, Jarrad Hoeata and Piri Weepu. "Its an outstanding team when you go through it," said Crowley, a former All Black himself. "Theyve got some really exciting backs there, some ex-All Blacks as well. And there are some players, if youve been watching the ITM Cup in New Zealand, who have certainly been really firing. "So its going to be a massive challenge for us, but its one were looking forward to." Crowley has been denied some of his top second-row talent, due to their club responsibilities. Cudmore, Sinclair, Beukeboon and Hotson are all missing out. That leaves openings for Jon Phelan, Aaron Flagg and Tyler Ardron to step up. As the incumbent, Harry Jones probably holds the edge at fly half although Crowley also has Liam Underwood at his disposal. The New Zealanders are an invitational team drawn from players of Maori descent. The first Maori All Blacks were officially selected in 1910 although the 1888 New Zealand Natives team, the first New Zealand side to wear the famous black jersey, was originally conceived as an all-Maori selection. The team has a proud, winning heritage. The Maori have beaten the likes of the British & Irish Lions, England, Ireland and Fiji. The Maori record since 2005 is 18-2, with the lone losses coming at the hands of the Leicester Tigers, an English powerhouse club, in 2012 and the England Saxons, Englands reserve squad, in 2007. Canada lost 32-19 to the Maori in 2012 and 59-23 in 2007. About half of Canadas 26-man roster is drawn from the team that went 1-2 at the Americas Rugby Championship. Reinforcements include captain Aaron Carpenter, who has been released from Englands Cornish Pirates along with Matt Evans. Others returning from overseas clubs are Tyler Ardron, Jeff Hassler, Jon Phelan and Hubert Buydens. Crowley and the 14th-ranked Canadian team will fly to Europe the day after the Maori game for test matches against No. 16 Georgia in Tbilisi on Nov. 9, Romania in Bucharest on Nov. 16 and Portugal in Lisbon on Nov. 23. More than 16,000 tickets have already been sold for the Maori game. --- Canadas Roster for New Zealand Maori All Blacks Game Tyler Ardron, Ospreys (Wales), Lakefield, Ont.; Ray Barkwill, Niagara Wasps RFC, Niagara Falls, Ont.; Nick Blevins, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Connor Braid, James Bay AA, Victoria; Hubert Buydens, Saskatoon Wild Oats, Saskatoon; Aaron Carpenter (capt.) Cornish Pirates (England), Brantford, Ont.; Nanyak Dala, Castaway Wanderers, Saskatoon; Matt Evans, Cornish Pirates (England), Maple Bay, B.C.; Aaron Flagg, Abbotsford RFC, Abbotsford, B.C.; Kyle Gilmour, St. Albert Rugby Club, Edmonton; Jeff Hassler, Ospreys (Wales), Okotoks, Alta.; Ciaran Hearn, Castaway Wanderers, Conception Bay, N.L.; Jake Illnicki, Williams Lake Rustlers, Williams Lake, B.C.; Harry Jones, Capilano RFC, West Vancouver; Adam Kleeberger, Castaway Wanderers, White Rock, B.C.; Phil Mack, UVic Vikes, Victoria; Jamie Mackenzie, UVic Vikes, Oakville, Ont.; Ryan March, Abbotsford RFC, Abbotsford, B.C.; John Moonlight, James Bay AA, Pickering, Ont.; Pat Parfrey, Swilers RFC, St. Johns, N.L.; Jon Phelan, Lille Metropole Rugby (France), Montreal; Mike Scholz, Castaway Wanderers, Oakville, Ont.; Andrew Tiedemann, Castaway Wanderers, St. Albert, Alta.; Conor Trainor, UBCOB Ravens, Vancouver; Liam Underwood, Queens University, Toronto; Doug Wooldridge, Lindsay RFC, Lindsay, Ont. New Zealand Maori All Blacks Ben Afeaki, North Harbour; Kurt Baker, Taranaki; Nick Barrett, Southland; Tim Bateman (capt.), Wellington; Luke Braid, Auckland; Shane Christie, Tasman; Elliot Dixon, Southland; Hika Elliott, Manukau; Chris Eves, Manawatu; Corey Flynn, Canterbury; Jamison Gibson-Park, Taranaki; Zac Guildford, Hawkes Bay; Kane Hames, Bay of Plenty; Jarrad Hoeata, Taranaki; Luke Katene, Canterbury; Charlie Ngatai, Wellington; Matt Proctor, Welliington; Robbie Robinson, Southland; Joe Royal, Bay of Plenty; Liam Squire, Tasman; Andre Taylor, Taranaki; Blade Thomson, Taranaki; Piri Weepu, Auckland; Ihaia West, Hawkes Bay; Joe Wheeler, Tasman; Jackson Willison, Waikato. Coach: Colin Cooper Brian Winters . The ninth-ranked Gasquet had little trouble beating teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-2, and the 10th-ranked Tsonga followed up just as emphatically to dispatch Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (2) and improve to 4-0 in head-to-heads against the former two-time Grand Slam champion. Damon Harrison . - Defenceman Nathan Beaulieu and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Phillip Danault and Zack Phillips headline the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leagues roster for the upcoming Subway Super Series versus Russia.TORONTO -- The CFL fined Toronto Argonauts defensive lineman Cleyon Laing on Wednesday for his nasty helmet-to-helmet hit last weekend on Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly. After the hit, Reilly was evaluated on the field and remained in the game for one more play, throwing a TD pass. Upon returning to the sidelines, he was found to be showing concussion-like symptoms and was replaced by backup Kerry Joseph. On Sunday, the Eskimos confirmed Reilly had suffered a concussion in Torontos 34-22 victory. In a statement, the CFL announced it was fining Laing for "a reckless and dangerous hit,&qquot; to Reillys head. Joe Namath. The league determined on the play that Laing "lowered his head and led with his helmet, making primary contact with the helmet of his opponent." Laing was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play. The CFL also fined Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant for sending an inappropriate tweet in response to a league fan. In accordance with CFL policy, the league didnt disclose the amounts of either penalty. Durant was fined for violating the leagues social media policy when he sent an offensive message via his Twitter account. ' ' ' |
