On this day: Canada cruise, Scotland rampage and France battle past brave Tonga
Former Canada prop Al Charron. Photo: AFP
Image: AFP
After the Springboks had spectacularly beaten the Wallabies in the opening match of the 1995 World Cup on Thursday, May 25, several pool matches ensued the next day.
South Africa were in Pool A, with Romania, Canada and Australia, and on the Friday it was the turn of the eastern Europeans and the hardy Canucks from North America.
Canada had a handy team in that period. The game was still amateur and they could reasonably compete, as the Boks would discover later in the tournament when they had to fight for their lives in Port Elizabeth.
Rugby World Cup 1995 | In retrospective
Image: Independent Media
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Canada had world class players — some of whom were based in Europe — in captain and lock Al Charron, prop Rod Snow and the very good flyhalf Gareth Rees. The latter two played for Newport (now the Dragons) in Wales.
They also boasted the Western Province centre Christian Stewart. He had been ignored by the Springboks but qualified for Canada via ancestry.
The Romanians were mostly tough soldiers. Rugby was big in the army in that part of the world and Romania took some big European scalps in the amateur era.
This match took place at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in Port Elizabeth and 8 000 locals watched the Canadians grind out a 34-3 win.
Charron, Snow and No 8 Colin McKenzie scored tries while Rees was in good form with the boot. He kicked two conversions four penalties and a drop goal.
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