Article content

The Canadian team’s first game at the 2019 HSBC Canada Sevens is just about an all-or-nothing affair: they face Samoa at 11:01 a.m. Saturday at B.C. Place Stadium.

The winner will be one step away from finding themselves in the quarter-finals on Sunday; either a follow-on win over Fiji (at 2:08 p.m.; yes, anything is possible) or Kenya (at 5:40 p.m.; a team missing a slew of veterans from last year’s second-place squad) will land them a top-eight spot.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canada Sevens tourney host's opener a family affair for Victoria's Mike Fuailefau Back to video

For the Canadians, it’s a chance to avenge a narrow loss in last week’s pool play in Las Vegas, one that propelled the Pacific Islanders on their way to a place in the final, where they lost to the host Americans.

The Canadians, meanwhile, slumped to the consolation round, eventually finishing 13th overall on the weekend.

Canadian forward Mike Fuailefau has an added incentive: Samoa is his father’s homeland.

Photo by Jason Payne / PNG

“It’ll be interesting to look up in the stands and see what jersey he’s wearing,” the always-smiling Fuailefau joked after a practice this week at B.C. Place Stadium. “Last time we had a fundraiser I think he was wearing a Samoa hoodie over a Canada jersey.”