Belgium edges young Canadian squad in men's rugby test match in Edmonton

Moral victories usually don't sit well with competitive players on losing teams, but Canada's men's rugby team accepted a 25-18 test loss to Belgium with an air of optimism on Saturday in Edmonton.

Canada, which led 13-12 at halftime at Clarke Stadium, was undone by a clinical Belgian counterattack and some self-inflicted miscues at crucial times.

Still, the squad felt good about its first showing under new head coach Stephen Meehan.

Wing Josiah Morra, hooker Andrew Quattrin and replacement Sion Parry crossed the try line for the Canadians, who fielded a youthful squad that included test debuts for fullback Brenden Black and substitute Kyle Tremblay. Halifax's Cooper Coats added a first-half penalty.

Belgium — ranked one spot above Canada at No. 23 in the World Rugby Rankings heading into the match — made the most of limited opportunities, scoring three tries and adding a pair of late penalty goals from Hugo de Francq to keep the hosts at arm's length.

"It was a first run-out with the new setup we're running, and it's really exciting," said second row Piers Von Dadelszen, who earned Teck Player of the Match honours.

"There's a lot we can take away from this — a few passes not sticking, and Belgium were awesome on the counterattack — but that's how we want to play. We're trying to bring a more exciting brand of rugby to Canadian fans, and we're looking forward to it all coming together going forward."

Canada opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a penalty-kick from Coats, before Belgium responded with a converted try from centre Florian Remue, set up by a line-breaking run from his brother Matias. A clever chip from Coats over the top led to Morra's first test try in the 22nd minute, but Belgium struck back three minutes later with a try of their own.

Quattrin's try from a rolling maul just past the half-hour mark gave Canada a narrow 13-12 lead at the half, but the second half saw momentum swing repeatedly. A yellow card to Belgium's Remue appeared to give Canada the edge, but the visitors capitalized even while down a man, with Soenen finishing off a cross-field kick following an interception to restore their advantage.

A pair of second-half penalties allowed Belgium to extend their lead, while Canada continued to press, eventually breaking through in the final play through Parry and ending the match with Canada's third and final try.

Captain Lucas Rumball acknowledged the disappointment post-match but struck a note of optimism.

"We're pretty gutted," said Rumball. "We created some opportunities, but credit to Belgium — when we made mistakes, they capitalized. There's a lot of potential here. We just have to get things right and keep building. Thanks to the fans here in Edmonton for coming out and supporting us."

Saturday's match marked Belgium's first-ever victory over Canada in four test meetings and their first time scoring points against the Canadians since 2021.

Canada will complete its two-match home series at Edmonton's Clarke Stadium with a clash against Spain on Friday, July 18.