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As youngsters, Eric Howard of Kanata and Conor Keys of Stittsville never expected to be travelling the road to the ninth Rugby World Cup.

However, they’re still 15 months away from reaching the intended destination of Japan, and there’s a chance that Canada may not even qualify, which would be a first in national team history.

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After failing to win an Americas’ zone berth, Canada is on the outside looking in. But Howard and Keys, relative newcomers to the national men’s senior team, are part of the group trying to help the red and white qualify for one spot at a last-chance, four-country repechage tournament in November.

The World Cup is set for Sept. 20 to Nov. 2, 2019, in Japan.

The Canadian men’s rugby team is focused this month on a critical, three-match Summer Series, a perfect dress rehearsal for the repechage tournament.

In its opening Summer Series match, Canada was hoping to make a bold international statement against world No. 8 Scotland, but instead was thrashed 48-10 by its ball-controlling opponent at Edmonton on June 9.