Canada bested the United States in their first World Cup Qualifying match in front of a raucous home crowd at Swilers Rugby Complex in St. John’s Saturday night.
It was the first international rugby game played in St. John’s in 15 years.
The United States took an early lead, with Canada conceding a penalty and penalty try in the early minutes of the game to go down 7-0.
The teams went back and forth to finish out the first half, with the U.S. leading 14 to 10.
The home team came out firing in the second half, scoring three tries, with wing Brock Webster going the length of the field on an interception. Canada wouldn’t look back, taking the game 34 to 21, marking their first win over the U.S. since 2013.
Here’s some more action from the Canada vs United States Rugby World Cup qualifier. pic.twitter.com/mSI5x3YY6I
— Noah Sheppard (@SheppardNoah14) September 5, 2021
St. John’s born full-back, Patrick Parfrey, says the fans helped them get back into it.
He says it’s better to play in a smaller venue with a packed house like in St. John’s than a giant half-empty stadium. He says the crowd helped out with the win.
The two teams will face off again in Colorado on September 11.
Thank you, St. John’s! 👏🍁#RugbyCA | #CANvUSA | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/6nOSQ2rJCi
— Rugby Canada (@RugbyCanada) September 4, 2021