Don't dismiss Canada's chances just yet

By CHRIS RATTUE

If there is a dark horse waiting to make the quarter-finals, it is Canada.

The Canadians got that far in 1991, when they were beaten only 29-13 by the All Blacks in poor conditions at Lille.

In pool D - the pool of uncertainty - they have some chance of doing it again.

By the IRB rankings, they are the lowest-rated team in the pool. But the Zurich system ranks them just behind Wales and ahead of Italy and Tonga, and there is an air of well-organised zeal to the Canadian campaign.

The All Blacks should breeze through the pool. Not only are they a country mile ahead of their opposition in terms of ability, but teams including Canada are considering putting out second-ranked sides against them.

New Zealand and Wales have comfortable draws. Their matches are spaced a week apart. Canada, Tonga and Italy have not fared as well, but Canada may have got the best of a bad lot.

Whereas the Italians and Tongans will play their four matches in just 14 days, Canada have a 17-day spread, although the Italians have to move camp just once while all the other sides play in three venues.

The Canadians' lead-up form has been patchy, even unimpressive. They were beaten heavily by Argentina in late August, when they also lost to the United States and struggled to overcome Uruguay.

They were also well beaten twice by the touring New Zealand Maori side, and their last significant victory was in June last year when they beat Scotland in Vancouver.

But it is the uncertain nature of their pool and their defiant World Cup history which suggest they should not be written off.

Among their key players will be veteran captain Al Charron, Welsh-based prop Rod Snow, Saracens halfback Morgan Williams, goalkicking first five-eighths Jared Barker, and Leeds wing Winston Stanley.

The Canadians are tight knit, as shown when they went on strike two years ago to get their Australian coach, David Clark, reinstated.

Their resolve also showed against South Africa in the 1995 tournament, when two of their players and a Springbok were ordered off in an ugly encounter at Port Elizabeth.

And the Canadians have shown they can rise for the World Cup, where they have had triumphs against Tonga, Romania and Fiji, and also battled to narrow losses against top nations.

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