When Ben Lesig last played for Canada, he broke an arm. He was playing.
It happened four minutes after Canada’s opening match at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, with a 48-7 defeat to Italy on September 26 in Fukuoka. On the way down, he came across an Italian who fell on his knees.
“I quickly realized something was wrong with my hand, but as you do, you’re back in the game and waiting for the next stop,” the Toronto Arrows said.
When Italy made their first competitive attempt in the eighth minute, Lesage tried to tag a physicist.
Watch Canada loses to Lesage last play for men’s national rugby team:
The clinic ran in front of me to Nick Blewins, who went upside down 30 seconds ago and broke his jaw. He was standing there holding his chin. So all the attention went to the Blewins, and it was understandable that Lesage ‘was honest.
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Blewins to replace Ciaran Hearr. Substitute options continued to erode the fully known lesion teeth on the bench.
“I can say it’s over (and) if this is my only World Cup game, I might try to score 80 minutes,” he said. “So I scored a little more in the first half. I took the painkiller and tried to capture the moment.”
A third metacarpal bone in the right arm was later found to be fractured.
Return to the international arena
The 25-year-old Lesage wore the Maple Leaf jersey again on Saturday as the 23rd-seeded Canadians clashed with sixth-seeded Wales at Principal Stadium in Cardiff. Canada, the third seed, will face England on July 10 at Twickenham.
“What a challenge I have to face. (I) I’m so excited, ”Lesage said of taking on such a unique challenge in Canada’s first matches since the World Cup.
Coach Kingsley Jones’ other darts are forward Lucas Rumble, Andrew Quatrin, Zaki Vekelani and Midrose Broad. Arrows teammates Tyler Roland and Cole Keith will replace him.
Rampal will lead Canada with Lesage as deputy captain.
When Wales lost 10 players on the tour of the British and Irish Lions in South Africa, manager Wayne Biwak introduced a team that included veterans Jonathan Davis (88 matches) and Lee Hoffpenny (95). Two undisclosed starters, Pivak added three more to the bench.
“I don’t expect anyone on our team to go to a training session or anything like that,” Lesage said.
“Either you go inside your shell or you really accept this challenge and realize the opportunity that awaits you,” he added.
Canada’s Saturday debut will feature Brude, Vikilani, Quinn Engawati, Cooper Coates, Roland, Donald Carson and Michael Smith on the bench.
Saturday’s participation will be limited to 8,200 people who can take part in Saturday’s match at the Emirates Stadium.
Three screws were inserted into the ligament to align the bones
Lesage returned to Vancouver for surgery after Italy’s match at the World Cup. After installing three screws to align with the bones, he returned to Japan to join friends and family who participated in the tournament.
“Instead of looking at the couch at home, I thought I’d come back later to rejoin,” he said.
Born in Calgary, Lesage, who missed the chance to take on the All Blacks and the world champion in South Africa, proved to be an emotional roller coaster.
He said that professional sports are difficult at times and especially playing rugby. “I may feel a little sympathy for myself there, for sure, (Italy) I was a little disappointed after the match. But (I) somehow realized I was coming back and I hope there will be more worlds in my future. And stuff.
“It was one of the best and most honest travel experiences I ‘ve ever had,” added Lesage, who spent time in Asia with some of his Canadian teammates after the tournament.
Lesage, who has competed in 16 matches for Canada since making his debut in November 2016, is still available.
The five-foot-tall, 215-pound graduate in mechatronics – a subdivision of mechanical engineering focused on robotics – is a minor in commerce from the University of British Columbia, where he began his career in rugby.
Lesage, who represented Canada for the Under-18s and Under-20s, was suspended for a year after playing in New Zealand after his first year at UBC and for tearing the ACL to the knee.
Life in New Zealand was another life experience. He shared a house with Canadian rugby players Matt Mullins and Justice Sears Dro. Lesage, who won his 53rd Canadian title on Saturday, and Sears-Duru worked on a diary while not playing rugby.
Back
Two years later, Lesage was invited to his first camp in Canada.
Far from rugby, he works for a British company called Omnipresent, which specializes in helping human resource companies around the world. He said it was not really practical to be a part-time engineer.
Lesage and Arrows Marietta, Ga. He has been home since mid-March with the Toronto team that chose to share facilities with ATL rugby this season due to travel restrictions related to the epidemic.
Despite having “some cuts on his face and stitches”, Lesage is a regular presence in the Arrows lineup this season. In the first game of the season, he cut his forehead and was forced to wear a protective helmet. In the first match that was removed, he injured his knee, which opened up another wound under his right eyebrow.
It is believed that there were 22 stitches to repair the wounds.
It’s an internal joke, and this year I came first in the championship, ”he said.
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