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Stephen ‍Meehan’s Canada​ Rugby: Building​ Depth Amidst Challenges

Seven games into his‍ tenure, ‌Canada’s rugby coach Stephen Meehan is navigating a ⁤complex landscape of ⁣player availability, injuries, and the ongoing process⁢ of building⁤ team cohesion. While acknowledging the difficulties, Meehan is‌ focused on developing a deeper talent pool and fostering competition for spots within the national squad.

The Challenge of Player⁣ Availability

A significant hurdle for Meehan⁣ has been the limited availability of key players.⁤ Many Canadian internationals play professionally in Europe, notably in France. While players like former captain Tyler Ardron and Evan ‍Olmstead ​have rejoined the national team setup‌ under Meehan,their club commitments often restrict their playing time for Canada. This is a common issue ​for nations with players scattered across global leagues.

Meehan understands the situation. Players rely on their club contracts for⁢ their ‌livelihoods, and national team duty must⁣ frequently enough take a ⁤backseat. Though, he reframes this challenge as an prospect.

“we also know that down the track​ they will be ‍with us … (and) at the same time, it’s providing​ others an opportunity to​ develop and to get better,” Meehan stated from ‍Bitumi.”and hopefully they put up their hands and are more ⁢and more confident in what they’re doing and performing at a higher level⁣ at both training and⁢ then whatever opportunities they get in ⁢the game.”

He emphasizes a positive ​outlook: “Depending upon how you want to look‍ at it, you can feel realy negative about that or you can say ‘Well, the silver lining is ⁢we’re developing a ⁢deeper pool of talent and we’re going to have greater competition‌ for spots.'”

Recent Results and Emerging ⁤Players

Canada recently suffered a 31-21 loss to Romania ⁢(ranked 21st) in Bucharest. Despite the ​defeat,‌ Meehan identified positive⁢ developments. The match saw first starts for prop Sam Miller and center Kyle Tremblay, while lock barnaby Waddell made his debut off the bench. This‌ influx ⁣of new faces⁢ demonstrates Meehan’s commitment to broadening the player base.

Meehan acknowledged areas for improvement,particularly the team’s start and some officiating decisions at the scrum. However, he ⁤was encouraged ⁢by ‍the team’s scramble defense and periods of sustained attack.

“Some of the rugby that we played in that second ⁤half demonstrated where this​ team