Although Canada lost it spot on the IRB Sevens World Series to the United States recently, captain Phil Mack believes it hasn’t had a negative impact on their preparations for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai.
If anything, in fact, he thinks the decision has fired the team up even more.
"I don't think it has much to do with our preparation for the World Cup. It just motivated our team to get in and prove to the world that we really belong on the Sevens circuit," the 23-year-old scrum half said.
While both Northern American heavyweights were virtually assured of qualifying for RWC Sevens, the two foes were at it again during the final of qualifying in the Bahamas, the United States winning 21-12 in a typically physical encounter.
"It didn't take anything away knowing that it was going to be an easy way to the final. Every time we play the States there's not much needed to get fired up," Mack explained.
The Shane Thompson-coached outfit will meet Scotland, Japan and South Africa in the pool stages in Dubai knowing it will take a string of outstanding performances to reach the quarter finals.
Mack suggests his team is capable of springing an upset or two with South Africa firmly in the young playmaker’s sights.
"It's exciting the way the season is turning out. So far upsets are happening at every tournament. In Sevens anything can happen.
"We're going to have a pretty strong squad, one of the strongest squads that I've been a part of so I'm pretty excited. We’re hoping for a couple of big upsets."
Proud heritage
One of Canada’s top performers for a number of years now, the little No. 9 wears his heart on his sleeve and, as the only member of the squad whose family is native Canadian, also carries the hopes of the country's First Nations on his shoulders.
"It kind of gives me a little motivation, pumps me up a bit. I went and visited my uncle over Christmas and he told me some old stories. I just get fired up thinking about it now."
While Mack takes his heritage seriously, the lighter side also came out during one of Thompson’s unorthodox team-building exercises in New Zealand.
"It was actually (Team Manager) Doug Tate who was the mastermind behind it. I got an email a few months ago from him asking a few questions about my background but not knowing what it was for.
"Then we show up in New Zealand and we all had to build a canoe," Mack explained.
"The team was divided into separate tribes and we had a speed boat float-off in New Zealand, which turned out to be pretty funny."
But it’s about to get serious again for Mack and his team-mates, and their opponents better not take them lightly.
