With their backs pressed against the wall following an embarrassing first game loss, Canada regrouped to score an upset 26-19 victory over Fiji Saturday afternoon at the HSBC World Rugby Sevens tournament.
"That wasn't a fluke," said Canada's Harry Jones. "That was us playing some good rugby."
Canada was thumped 38-7 by Samoa in their opening game of the 16-team event. Head coach Damian McGrath called it the most disappointing loss in his three years coaching the team.
"Not just because we lost but the matter in which we lost," said McGrath. "I asked a few questions and they answered the way you want."
Canada took an early 12-0 led against the defending tournament champion Fijians, but the score was tied at half time.
A heads up play by captain Nathan Hirayama set up the winning try in the second half. Hirayama found some open field after a pretty deke, then passed to Jones for the score.
"We got a bit of a talking too," Jones said about the morning loss. "We had to look deep into ourselves to pull one out."
It was just the fifth time in 52 games Canada has beaten Fiji in Rugby 7's. The last victory was in December 2017 in Cape Town.
McGrath said the win, before a large, loud crowd at BC Place Stadium, showed the fickle nature of the Canadian team.
"How can you go from the despair and the performance we did against Samoa to doing that against the Olympic champions?" he asked.
"It's the inconsistency of Canada 7's. One minute we have the potential to being one of the best, then we let ourselves down."
Canada will need some help if it hopes to finish among the top two teams in the tough B Pool and advance to the quarterfinals. Samoa leads the group with a 2-0 record. Canada and Fiji are 1-1 while Kenya is 0-2.
Canada must beat Kenya in its final game and hope for a Samoa win over Fiji.
Samoa beat Kenya 35-12 in the other afternoon game. In earlier Pool B action, Fiji pounded Kenya 36-12.
In the opening game, Canada trailed Samoa just 14-7 at halftime but things quickly fell apart in the second. Canada had trouble receiving kickoffs and the Samoans scored 24 unanswered points.
It was the 45th time in 56 meetings that Samoa has beat Canada.
The crowd at BC Place Stadium was a rainbow of costumes and colours. One section was decked out as green leprechauns, another wore white doctor's jackets with green fuzzy wigs. Dotted among the crowd were people dressed as 60's hippies, a trio of shepherds complete with hooked staffs, several Waldos, a fairy with wings, a couple Energizer Bunnies, Cookie Monster, a tiger and a horse. A few outfits defied description.
Canada stands 11th in the overall standings midway through the 10-event series. Canada has advanced to the quarterfinals once in the first five tournaments. They have been close, missing out three times by losing a game by a single score.
Fiji won tournaments in Cape Town and Hamilton, New Zealand earlier this season. Samoa lost in the final to the U.S. in last week's tournament in Las Vegas.
