TORONTO — After hobbling into the post-game interview room, co-captain DTH van der Merwe took little pleasure in making Canadian rugby history in a 28-28 tie with the United States.
Van der Merwe's two tries Saturday at Tim Hortons Field lifted him into first place in Canada's all-time try-scoring ranks with 25. And his storming 69th-minute run set the stage for Canada's third try and late 10-point comeback in the first leg of the World Cup qualifier.
But the 31-year-old danger man, slated to join England's Newcastle Falcons later this year, was not about to bask in moving past the classy Winston Stanley as Canada's top try-scorer.
"Maybe it would have been a bit better if we won. But a draw, you know, it's a bit iffy," he said. "I'll look back at that maybe when I'm a bit older, but right now I just want to do as much as I can to help my team."
He will get his chance next Sunday in San Diego in the finale of the two-game aggregate points series.
Like coach Mark Anscombe, van der Merwe lamented missed opportunities.
While the Canadian scrum impressed and the backs made inroads on the Americans, handling errors and penalties cost Canada. The Canadians laid siege on the U.S. goal-line several times, only to be denied. And they were unable to take advantage in the second half when the Americans twice went down a man for yellow cards.
It looked promising early.
The Canadian men got off to a rousing start on a warm but windy day before 13,187, leading 7-0 and 15-7. Still they found themselves trailing 21-15 at halftime.
After van der Merwe capped off a fine break by Andrew Coe and Ciaran Hearn down the right flank for the game's opening try, Connor Braid fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Americans turned the turnover into a quick try.
Van der Merwe restored the lead with his record-breaking try, accelerating out of a ruck like a rocket to score in the corner. A Shane O'Leary penalty made it 15-7.
The Canadians seems to be in control. But the Americans scored two converted tries in the final five minutes of the half to change all of that.
With the referee's arm out for two Canadian infringements, the U.S. kicked into touch and, from the ensuing lineout, scored from a rolling maul. Then with the Americans playing on advantage again from a Canadian foul, Mike Te'o capped off a sweeping American attack to put the visitors ahead.
A key moment came early in the second half with Canada trailing 21-18 but up a man with an American in the sin-bin. The Canadians were knocking on the door after an American knock-on, only to see Te'o intercept an O'Leary pass and race 80-plus metres for a try and a 28-18 lead.
A Coe try for Canada was disallowed on video review after it was ruled he lost possession as he flew through the air in the process of touching the ball down.
But Aaron Carpenter's 69th-minute try and O'Leary's 78th-minute penalty pulled the Canadians even.
Both teams missed late kicks in a failed bid to take the lead.
"Hats off to the U.S.A., they played a good game. But ultimately I don't think they deserved 28 points," said a downcast van der Merwe. "We gifted them at least half of those points."
Anscombe liked the Canadian comeback but had plenty of other concerns.
"We left a lot of tries out there and we gave them a few," he said. "If we're going to do better next week, we've got to be a little bit more clinical than what we were today."
The 23rd-ranked Canadians ended their five-game losing streak at the hands of the 17th-ranked Americans. But now they must win on the road.
Canada, 38-17-2 all-time against the U.S., has not beaten the Americans since 2013.
The Canada-U.S. series winner slots into Pool C at the 2019 World Cup in Japan, along with No. 2 England, No. 8 France, No. 9 Argentina and Oceania 2.
The playoff loser has another chance to qualify via a two-game playoff with No. 18 Uruguay, the lone survivor left in South American qualifying. That winner slots into Pool D as Americas 2 with No. 4 Australia, No. 7 Wales, No. 12 Georgia and Oceania 1.
The loser of the Uruguay series has one more chance, via a world repechage.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
