e. The Royals OF got hit in the ninth inning. ... Bruce Chen (5-2, 2.88 ERA) starts Thursdays series final. The lefty has pitched seven scoreless | Forum

The sold out ticket announcement for Sundays match between Rugby Canada and the New Zealand Maori All Blacks at BMO Field means it will be the largest crowd in modern Canadian rugby history. Alvaro Morata Jersey . Billboards around Toronto and popup ads on the internet are heavy with the games tagline of Face the Haka, but past the attendance numbers and one of the worlds most famous pre-game rituals, a lot of uncertainty surrounds the match itself. The haka fully deserves the amount of clever marketing attention its receiving but to only look forward to a ceremony and not the subsequent 80-minute match is the sporting equivalent of a bride caring too much about her wedding and forgetting about the marriage itself (insert stat about current divorce rate...). Sunday is a loaded match, as its only the fifth time in history Canada has faced the haka/played the Maori, and a heavy personnel change for both sides since their last meeting in November 2012 makes the exact game difficult to predict. The Maori All Blacks have named arguably their strongest side, signaling clear intentions and demonstrating how the program is being used in a high performance direction alongside the All Blacks. The Maori, working closely with the national team selectors, have named a clear seasoned leader in each position to help develop the younger players surely destined for the full All Blacks jersey. Canadians will recognize a few Maori players named in the starting 23 from the All Blacks at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and will especially remember the name Zac Guildford as he dotted down four times against the Canucks in their pool match in Wellington. This tour serves as a great opportunity and redemption for gifted Guildford after a spate of alcohol-related incidents saw his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union almost terminated. Because the game on Sunday falls outside the IRBs November international window, Canada has exercised their right to hold off on naming a lineup until the morning of the game. Gripping their cards so close to their chest makes the game very hard to preview from a media standpoint, but it also signals how seriously they are taking this match - even though its not a full international test. Canada lost all four of their matches to the Maori since 2003 but have narrowed the differential every time and the game at Oxford last year was the closest yet. In front of packed grounds at Iffley Road, home of Oxford University, the normally convincing Maori werent for the full 80, racking up too many penalties but still earning a 32-19 victory. A very late try out wide to the Maori in that game meant the eventual score line did not reflect the Canadians efforts, who were still within a converted try of a scalp with eight minutes remaining. Had the Canadians been slightly better with ball in hand and ball retention, the game could have been even closer. But two very different sides will line up on Sunday compared to a year ago. The kickers who combined for 32 points in that match are gone, the Maori have a new coach, a new captain and only one returner in the front row in their 23 and Canada are missing eight of their top players because of professional commitments. 14 of the 30 players who started for Canada or the Maori last year are completely gone from their 26-man rosters due to non-selection, injuries or not being released by professional clubs. With so many question marks in terms of specifics, one has to step back and compare the front of the jerseys as opposed to whos wearing the numbers on the back. The culture and history of the NZ Maori runs deeper than the traceable bloodlines of each player on their team, and much deeper than what any outsider could comprehend. This is partially why the haka stirs so much intrigue; it gives everyone else a taste of the fierce pride of the Maori culture that is normally subliminal behind their laid back and friendly demeanor. At a press conference on Wednesday, the word culture passed the lips of Maori captain Tim Bateman and new Maori coach Colin Cooper countless times. A former Maori player, coach Cooper spoke of his teams mana, a Maori word meaning honour, and how it would help bring his team together. "The challenge is coming here on a short turnaround to take on Canada in their backyard. What will help us probably is that were Maori and (that) will galvanize us - team unity will be brought together by our culture." This culture and mana means it usually doesnt matter which 23 players fill the Black jerseys, an expectation is there. Canadas coach Kieran Crowley, who played and coached with Cooper at Taranaki in New Zealand, hopes establishing a clear pathway to the Canadian national team will help develop a strong team culture. "When I first began (coaching Canada), I couldnt see a clear path. Weve worked hard to do that and now I can. This will help create team culture and most importantly, consistency." Crowley said consistency remains Canadas focus and will be how he will measure his teams long-term success. Hopefully, this Canada/USA New Zealand Maori Tour will become an annual fixture on the rugby calendar as it is sponsored by AIG, who are looking to grow the sport into a lucrative North American frontier. If so, it would provide an ideal medium for both programs to develop exactly what the two coaches identified - culture and consistency. Canada would have a perfect benchmark to measure itself as a program too, and New Zealand is given an opportunity to grow the All Blacks brand globally while still protecting and sharing the Maori culture on its terms. The tour also presents an opportunity to strengthen the culture within the Maori squad - everyone knows the value of a good road trip. Mariano Diaz Jersey . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Raphael Varane Jersey . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. http://www.realmadridfcprohop.com/Authentic-Sergio-Ramos-Jersey/ . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos.MINNEAPOLIS -- Salvador Perez and Danny Duffy both enjoyed big nights on Wednesday. After the game, they just wanted to talk about each other. Perez homered twice, got four hits and sent a message to Minnesota pitcher Andrew Albers after a high-and-inside fastball, leading the Kansas City Royals over the Twins 8-1. "I cant say enough about our guy behind the plate," Duffy said. "Salvy really killed it." Duffy (2-0) pitched 6 2-3 shutout innings hours after being promoted from Triple-A. Minnesota lost its fourth in a row. Perez hit a two-run homer in the fourth, a 415-foot drive into the upper deck in left field off Albers (2-2) that made it 3-0. When Perez came up again in the sixth, Albers threw an up-and-in pitch that sent Perez tumbling to the ground. The 23-year-old catcher, who missed a week with a concussion earlier this month, took his helmet off and pointed at his side, telling Albers to aim lower if hes going to throw inside. Albers held both of his arms out and had a few words of his own for Perez. Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt warned both benches. Perez then struck back by lining a single that whizzed over Albers head. "He got me hyped when he answered with the line drive up the middle," Duffy said. "I was very excited about that. Salvys a monster back there. I cant really say anything else." Perez hit another two-run homer in the eighth, connecting off reliever Casey Fien in the eighth. Albers said he meant no harm with the pitch that sent Perez diving. "Im not trying to go after his head. Im not trying to hit him in that situation," Albers said. "I am trying to go inside, and sometimes it gets away. Again, if I could throw 99 pitches exactly where I wanted to, Im probably going to have a good night. But unfortunately that one did get away, and it didnt look very good. "Thats part of baseball. He dives in a little bit, and I dont even think it was all that far inside," he said. Perez had his first career multihomer game. In 15 games against the Twins this season, Perez is hitting .410 with four doubles, three homers and nine RBIs. Duffy was called up from the minors and replaced the struggling Wade Davis in the rotation. Duffy allowed five hits and struck out seven in his third start with the Royals since having elbow surgery last June. "Sometimes he gets too excited on the mound, so I just tell him to keep down a little bit," Perez said about Duffy. "I telll him to work both sides of the plate and thats what he did tonight. Karim Benzema Real Madrid Jersey. Thats why he was so good tonight." Duffy has shuffled among Kansas City, Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas as he comes back from surgery. In three August starts with the Royals, Duffy has a 1.10 ERA and has struck out 17. The tall and thin lefty hasnt given up a run in his last 12 2-3 innings. "He had everything tonight," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Hes such a competitor, but he did a great job with his mound presence. He was in control." The Twins struck out 10 times and set the club record for strikeouts in a season with 31 games to go. Minnesota batters have fanned 1,127 times, breaking the previous mark of 1,121 set in 1997. Chris Colabello whiffed on a changeup from Duffy in the fifth inning to set the record. "Well, we definitely care about it, because its not fun. Its not fun watching guys strike out," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But you know what? Theyre going up there. Theyre working hard. Theyre doing everything they possibly can. Its not like theyre trying to strike out." Justin Morneau hit his 16th home run in the ninth to prevent the Twins from being shut out. Alex Gordon hit a solo homer as the Royals beat Minnesota for the eighth time in their last nine games. NOTES: The Twins have scored a total of five runs during their four-game slide. ... Twins star C Joe Mauer, on the disabled list while recovering from a concussion, made progress on Wednesday, according to GM Terry Ryan. Mauer was at the ballpark, doing some stretching and other light exercises. "He is doing better," Ryan said. But Mauer wont travel to Texas for the weekend series. ... The Royals optioned Davis and reliever Louis Coleman to High-A Wilmington to make room for Duffy and Luke Hochevar, who returned from three days of paternity leave. By sending Davis and Coleman to Wilmington, the Royals can recall them by Tuesday since Wilmington finishes its regular season on Monday and likely wont make the post-season. ... X-rays were negative on Justin Maxwells hand after the game. The Royals OF got hit in the ninth inning. ... Bruce Chen (5-2, 2.88 ERA) starts Thursdays series final. The lefty has pitched seven scoreless innings of relief against Minnesota this season. ... Samuel Deduno (8-7, 3.69 ERA) starts for Minnesota. Deduno is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts against the Royals. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys ' ' '