Ireland vs. Canada: Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for Rugby World Cup 2015 Game

Ireland open their World Cup campaign with what looks like a relatively easy hit-out against Pool D minnows Canada in Cardiff.

But Irish coach Joe Schmidt has been at pains to point out that the Canucks could throw a spanner in the works of Ireland’s ambitions to go deep into the tournament, per the Irish Independent:

"I know that people probably won't see them in the same light, but I think they are an incredible banana skin for us," said the Kiwi mastermind of Ireland’s 2014 and 2015 Six Nations successes.

But with that being said, Schmidt has also been questioned for his plan to time his players’ peak for their final pool match against France, the potential decider of the section’s winner.

England World Cup-winner Ben Kay told the Press Association via the Irish Independent:

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One of their issues has been looking at the fixtures ahead of them and planning. Because their first World Cup game against Canada, they haven't performed particularly well, then Romania - Ireland probably have the easiest draw. So they've got that build-up then they have a tougher game against Italy, and the big one against France at the end. Speaking to people around the squad they are saying that their build-up has been slightly different in that they are looking to peak slightly later in the tournament. That's a risky strategy if you can't get the confidence.

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Key men Conor Murray and Rob Kearney have overcome injury to play on Saturday, but it would be hard not to blame Schmidt for wanting to keep as many of his best players fresh for the more taxing challenges later in their pool.

Canada arrive as rank outsiders to make much impact in a section stacked with three Six Nations sides, but at least have some local knowledge in their ranks for this clash in Wales.

Wing Jeff Hassler plays for Welsh region Ospreys and Canadian team manager Gareth Rees told rugbyworldcup.com: "He's fearless and he's a fantastic athlete, and he's a great contributor to the Canadian cause - we do have to get him the ball, but he's a matchwinner."

Match details

Date: Saturday, September 19

Time: 2:30 p.m. BST/9:30 a.m. EST

Venue: Millennium Stadium

TV Info: UK, ITV1; Australia, Fox Sports; NZ, SkySport; South Africa, SuperSports

Live Stream: ITV Player (UK only)

Last five games

Ireland’s Six Nations triumph has been followed with a patchy summer, winning two and losing two of their warm-up contests. Should Schmidt’s plan be to have his men slip into top gear later in their pool, these results won’t interrupt his sleep too much.

Canada's recent defeats to the USA, Fiji and Samoa will not have boosted their confidence of going up against some of Europe's best.

September 5	England 21-13 Ireland
August 29	Ireland 10-16 Wales
August 15	Ireland 28-22 Scotland
August 8	Wales 21-35 Ireland
March 21	Scotland 10-40 Ireland

September 6	Canada 18-47 Fiji
September 2	Canada 16-15 Georgia
August 22	Canada 23-41 USA
August 3	Canada 13-15 USA
July 29	Canada 20-21 Samoa

Concerns over centre Robbie Henshaw's injury sustained in training this week keep the Connacht man out of this opener for Ireland, with Luke Fitzgerald filling the No. 12 jersey. It's not a customary position for the Leinster man but one the Irish Times' Gavin Cummiskey says should not trouble the 28-year-old:

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While somewhat surprising, the move is not completely out of the blue; Schmidt previously selected the 2009 Lions winger in the position, albeit for Leinster after he failed to make Declan Kidney’s 2011 World Cup squad.

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Canada's coach Kieran Crowley has named Hassler and fellow Pro 12 wing DTH Van der Merwe among his starting XV, which, per rugbyworldcup.com, is the oldest they have ever fielded at the tournament, with the average age at 29 years and 164 days old.

They will look to Sevens specialist Nathan Hirayama to provide creativity from fly-half in his third tournament and will be skippered by Jamie Cudmore.

Team lineups

Ireland: Rob Kearney, Dave Kearney, Jared Payne, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls, Jonny Sexton, Conor Murray, Jack McGrath, Rory Best, Mike Ross, Iain Henderson, Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip

Canada:  Matt Evans, Jeff Hassler, Ciaran Hearns, Nick Blevins, DTH Van der Merwe, Nathan Hirayama, Gordon McRorie, Hubert Buydens, Ray Barkwill, Doug Wooldridge, Brett Beukeboom, Jamie Cudmore, Kyle Gilmour, John Moonlight, Aaron Carpenter 

Players to watch

Sean O'Brien

Ireland's best chance of piling up a massive score against the north Americans is to break their spirit up front first of all.

The bullocking runs of Sean O'Brien may be just the weapon to achieve that. After an arduous time in rehab following complications after surgery, the man nicknamed the Tullow Tank re-emerged in fine fettle for Ireland's final match of their triumphant Six Nations campaign, scoring at Murrayfield as they claimed a second straight title.

O'Brien's muscularity with ball in hand and heavy-hitting in defence can set the tone for a dominant Irish display.

Jamie Cudmore

Canada’s veteran second row joins elite Maple Leaf company this year when he appears at his fourth Rugby World Cup. The only other men, per cbc.ca to have done that for the Canadians are Gareth Rees, Rod Snow, Mike James, Dave Lougheed and Al Charron.

And the Clermont Auvergne man, who leads the team out in Cardiff, is sure to make his presence felt at the Millennium Stadium.

Cudmore is no wallflower when it comes to the rough stuff, and has tangled once before with Irish skipper Paul O’Connell.

It has not been an easy route to what will be his last hurrah at the World Cup. Cudmore has had concussion-related problems this year after a clash of heads in Clermont’s European Cup semi-final, as he told cbc:

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Headaches, disorientation. I could never remember what I was supposed to do day-to-day. I'd have to have a list of everything written down so I didn't forget stuff. It was pretty tough. It was an eye-opener because I've always kind of been the rough-and-tumble player, I just kind of pushed through the pain. Whereas something like that it's not a question of pushing through it, you can't.

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Now over those problems, Cudmore’s decade in the yellow and blue of one of Europe’s best club sides remains an invaluable asset to his national side, and he will need to bring all the usual fire to the forward battle with the Irish forwards.

Back rower Peter O’Mahony told the Irish Examiner:

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I’ve played against him a couple of times and he really drives Clermont’s pack. He’s a real go-to guy for them and I’d imagine he’s the same for Canada. He’s someone that we’ve looked at hard and someone that we’ll have to pay a huge amount of respect to on Saturday.

 

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Odds

Ireland 1/100

Canada 80/1

Draw 325/1

Via oddschecker.com