Canadian rugby captain Aaron Carpenter nears milestone in Ireland test
Captain Aaron Carpenter will move within one game of Al Charron’s Canadian record of 76 caps when he leads Canada out for a high-profile rugby test against fifth-ranked Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
The Canadian men, ranked 18th in the world, will have to contend with an Aviva Stadium crowd of more than 50,000 looking to celebrate an Irish team coming off a historic 40-29 win over the top-ranked All Blacks last Saturday in Chicago.
“It’s a big occasion,” Canadian coach Mark Anscombe said. “We don’t get Tier 1 games very often. So we’re very conscious of the importance of performing well on Saturday.”
Canada is 0-6-1 all-time against Ireland, including a 50-7 defeat at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The Canadians are a 33-1 underdog this weekend, according to British bookmaker Ladbrokes.