World Rugby Nations Cup – Canada vs Portugal – ARN Guide

Edmonton rugby fans will get a second look at the new Nations Cup when Canada hosts Portugal at Clarke Stadium on Saturday evening. Last week saw the Maple Leafs score late to salvage a dramatic draw against a respectable Spain lineup. Visiting Alberta this week are Os Lobos, whose poor discipline contributed to a one-point defeat to the USA Eagles in Denver.

FORM GUIDE

Current World Ranking: 23 (59.63 points)
2026-07-04 – Canada 42, Spain 42 (Edmonton)
2025-11-22 – Portugal 33, Canada 27 (Coimbra)
2025-11-15 – Georgia 38, Canada 17 (Batumi)
2025-11-08 – Romania 31, Canada 21 (Bucharest)
2025-09-20 – Canada 24, Tonga 35 (Salt Lake City)
2025-09-14 – Canada 10, Fiji 63 (Denver)

 Current World Ranking: 15 (68.51 points)
2026-07-04 – USA 30, Portugal 29 (Denver)
2026-03-15 – Georgia 17, Portugal 19 (Madrid)
2026-03-08 – Portugal 26, Spain 7 (Lisbon)
2026-02-22 – Portugal 44, Romania 7 (Lisbon)
2026-02-14 – Germany 12, Portugal 68 (Dessau)

STARTING LINEUP CHANGES

	IN	OUT
7	Evan Olmstead	Lucas Rumball
8	Sion Parry	Tyler Ardron
15	Takoda McMullin	Cooper Coats

	IN	OUT
3	Cody Thomas	António Prim
10	Hugo Aubry	Manuel Vareiro

NOTES

• Steve Meehan will be without two of his best players as both Tyler Ardron and Lucas Rumball are unavailable with personal commitments… he is boosted by the arrival of Evan Olmstead, who lines up on the flank, with Sion Parry taking up the No8 position
• Cooper Coats is ruled out with a lower-leg injury suffered on the final play of the game against Spain… Peter Nelson, who has shaken off his own knock, switches to flyhalf with Takoda McMullin slotting in at fullback… the latter kicked the game-tying conversion with time expired against Spain
• four players could make their test debuts from the bench for the Canadians… second row Daragh Doyle and midfielder Jacob Ince were unused replacements last weekend… back row Cody Nhanala and utility back Liam James join the reserves this week… James is the son of former Canada lock Mike James, who enjoyed a long pro career in France
• Simon Mannix will be without starting flyhalf Manuel Vareiro and reserve prop Pedro Vicente this week… both received suspensions after being sent off for foul play against the Eagles… Hugo Aubry replaces Vareiro and Abel Da Cunha steps in for Vicente
• the only other change to the run-on side is rotation at tighthead prop with Antonio Prim on the bench this week and Cody Thomas handed the start… versatile back Alfredo Almeida joins the bench

QUOTES

Steve Meehan (Head Coach)

“There were plenty of positives to take from the performance against Spain. Our set piece was strong, and the patience and composure we showed to score after long attacking phases reflected the progress this group is making. To come back and earn a draw in the final minutes showed real resilience and belief, but we’re not satisfied with a draw, we want to be winning those games. With a number of players stepping into bigger roles, every match is helping build the experience and confidence we’ll need moving forward.”

“Portugal are a well-organised side with a clear identity. They’re strong in the kick chase, work hard to control field position, and are very effective through the middle of the field. We have a good understanding of how they want to play, so the challenge for us is to disrupt their game while continuing to execute ours. It’s a different test to Spain and another chance for this squad to show how quickly it can adapt to a new style of opposition.”

PREDICTION

Warm and sunny conditions are on the forecast for kickoff. Despite the poor showing in Denver, Os Lobos are a step above Spain. Their backline will again hold a speed advantage over the Canadians, but their forward pack are smaller and less physically imposing. The edge in kicking goes to the visitors, with veteran scrumhalf Samuel Marques a key decision-maker. Expect another entertaining match but the loss of Rumball, Ardron, and Coats might be too much for Canada to overcome this week. Portugal are favorites on the road in Edmonton.

TEAMS

CANADA
1 Cali Martinez, 2 Andrew Quattrin (capt.), 3 Cole Keith, 4 Piers von Dadelszen, 5 Izzak Kelly, 6 Mason Flesch, 7 Evan Olmstead, 8 Sion Parry, 9 Jason Higgins, 10 Peter Nelson, 11 Noah Flesch, 12 Josh McIndoe, 13 Spencer Jones, 14 Kyle Tremblay, 15 Takoda McMullin

Replacements: 16 Dewald Kotze, 17 Sam Miller, 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Daragh Doyle, 20 Cody Nhanala, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Liam James, 23 Jacob Ince

PORTUGAL
1 Luís Lopes, 2 Luke Begic, 3 Cody Thomas, 4 Martim Bello, 5 Duarte Torgal, 6 José Madeira (capt.), 7 João Granate, 8 José Monteiro, 9 Samuel Marques, 10 Hugo Aubry, 11 Manuel Cardoso Pinto, 12 Tomás Appleton, 13 Guilherme Vasconcelos, 14 Raffaele Storti, 15 Vincent Pinto

Replacements: 16 Abel Da Cunha, 17 Nuno Mascarenhas, 18 António Prim, 19 Guilherme Costa, 20 André Cunha, 21 Hugo Camacho, 22 Martim Faro, 23 Alfredo Almeida

MATCH INFO

Date: Saturday, July 11
Venue: Clarke Stadium, Edmonton
Kickoff: 19:00 local (18:00 Pacific, 21:00 Eastern, Sunday 02:00 Portugal)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 72°F (22°C), wind NE 5-9 mph (9-14 km/h)
Broadcasts: TSN 2 (Canada), RugbyPass TV

OFFICIALS

Referee: Jérémy Rozier (France)
Assistants: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) & Mike Lawrenson (USA)
TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy)

HISTORY

HEAD-TO-HEAD (6):  Canada 4,  Portugal 2
2025-11-22 – Portugal 33, Canada 27 (Coimbra)
2021-11-06 – Portugal 20, Canada 17 (Lisbon)
2013-11-23 – Portugal 8, Canada 52 (Lisbon)
2010-11-27 – Portugal 20, Canada 23 (Lisbon)
2008-11-01 – Portugal 13, Canada 21 (Lisbon)
2007-08-18 – Canada 42, Portugal 12 (Ottawa)