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Van der Merwe and Paris lead Canada past Spain 37-27 in men’s rugby test

Nov 18, 2017 | 9:30 AM

MADRID — DTH van der Merwe and Taylor Paris had two tries apiece as Canada beat Spain 37-27 on Saturday in a rugby international test.

Brock Staller kicked three penalties as 23rd-ranked Canada earned Kingsley Jones his first win as coach. The Canadian men will wrap up their November tour Nov. 25 in Narbonne, France, against No. 9 Fiji.

“It’s about winning matches, test match rugby, that’s what it is,” said Jones. “Ultimately, that confidence should give us a kick on now into Fiji. It’ll give us a lot of belief.

“It’s a good challenge, Fiji. We’ll move forward into that.”

It’s an important win for Canada because Spain, ranked 20th in the world, is a rugby nation on the rise.

The Spanish men’s and women’s sevens teams both made the 2016 Rio Olympics — with the men winning a 16-country repechage tournament that included Canada — while the women’s 15s side qualified for this summer’s World Cup.

In its first appearance at the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in 2016, Spain was runner-up in the second-tier championship that Canada failed to qualify for.

Canada opened its November series with a 51-9 loss to the Maori All Blacks at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

The Canadian Press