Hard-nosed forward Jamie Cudmore has always led on the rugby field.

Now the 37-year-old is doing it from the sideline, filling in an injury layoff with a stint as assistant coach for Canada at the Americas Rugby Championship.

The six-foot-five 255-pound enforcer affectionately known as Cuddles is not ready to call time on his playing career. But he had time on his hands after neck surgery and an interest in coaching.

So Canadian interim coach Francois Ratier installed him as forwards/defence coach for the first three games of the six-team Americas Rugby Championship. Canada opens Saturday against Uruguay in Langford, B.C.

It could be a preview of things to come.

"I think there's enough quality in the country that we can have a Canadian head coach and a Canadian assistant coach," said Cudmore, who has coached at his French club side's academy. "I put my hat in the ring for that.

"There's a lot of people who do a lot of hard work in Canada. They've got a lot of great passion and technical knowledge as well. So I don't see why we need to look outside the country."

Cudmore captained Canada at the recent Rugby World Cup while regular skipper Tyler Ardron was out injured.

His contract with Clermont-Auvergne in France expires at the end of the season, with Cudmore linked to Lyon in France and Gloucester in England.

"I think I've still got a lot to give. I'm enjoying my coaching here at the moment but I can coach for many years after this. I'd still like to play maybe a year or two more. It's definitely going to depend on the next few months, how my recovery goes, how the season finishes with Clermont and how I'm feeling."

Cudmore is joined on Ratier's coaching staff by Graeme Moffat (attack coach) and Mike Shelley (scrum coach). Chris Silverthorn will serve as forward/defence coach for the last two legs of the tournament.

Canada is fielding a largely domestic squad and six uncapped players make their debut Saturday: Paul Ciulini, Lucas Rumball, Clay Panga, Gradyn Bowd, Dan Moor and Mozac Samson. Six other debutantes could join them from the bench.

"We don't care about the number of caps in the team," Ratier said in a statement. “We care about our courage and heart."

There is World Cup experience in the front row with captain Hubert Buydens, Ray Barkwill and Jake Ilnicki and in the backs with Gord McRorie, Nick Blevins and Phil Mackenzie .

Cudmore is impressed by the squad.

"I've been more and more surprised each year I come back by the homegrown talent that's being brought up into the squad."

Cudmore, who can't take part in the tournament due to rehab requirements, says he is feeling much better after surgery to correct several years of pain caused by a herniated disc in his neck that was putting pressure on his spinal column.

"When you've a hernia in your neck, it kind of gives you pain left, right and centre," he said. "The moment the surgery was done, I got up out of the hospital the next day and I had no more pain ... so I was very happy."

Cudmore is a hard man. But he acknowledges the days leading up to the surgery were "definitely a bit scary."

It needed to be done. He had been feeling pain from his neck and shoulders down including losing sensation in his hands

It's the price of playing the game hell-for-leather. Cudmore can be a heat-seeking missile on the field.

When he isn't administering lumps, he has a sense of humour. During last fall's World Cup, he wandered — deliberately — into a French huddle before a lineout, only to be dragged away by a Frenchman when he was finally noticed.

Canada will host Brazil on Feb. 20 and play Chile and the U.S. on the road in three other test matches. The Canadian men will also travel to Argentina as part of the tournament in a game that won't be classed as an official test match.

Canada is 7-1 against Uruguay in official test matches. Canada 'A' defeated Uruguay 'A' in the 2013 and 2014 editions of the ARC in Langford.

Canada

Hubert Buydens (capt.), Castaway Wanderers, Saskatoon; Ray Barkwill, Castaway Wanderers, Niagara Falls, Ont.; Jake Ilnicki, Castaway Wanderers, Williams Lake, B.C.; Paul Ciulini, Aurora Barbarians, Vaughan, Ont.; Callum Morrison, UBCOB Ravens, Victoria; Kyle Gilmour, Rotherham (England), St. Albert, Alta.; Lucas Rumball, Balmy Beach RFC, Toronto; Clay Panga, Castaway Wanderers, Calgary, Alta.; Gordon McRorie, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Gradyn Bowd, UVIC Vikes, Calgary; Dan Moor, Balmy Beach RFC, Toronto; Nick Blevins, Calgary Hornets, Calgary; Mozac Samson, Calgary Saints, Calgary; Phil Mackenzie, Sale Sharks (England), Oakville, Ont.; Pat Parfrey, Swilers RFC, St. John’s, N.L.

Reserves

Eric Howard, Brantford Harlequins, Ottawa; Djustice Sears-Duru , Oakville Crusaders, Oakville, Ont.; Rob Brouwer, Lindsay RFC, Lindsay, Ont.; Kyle Baillie, Halifax Tars, Summerside, P.E.I.; Alistair Clark, Bay Street Pigs, Oakville, Ont.; Michael Hamson, Halifax Tars, Halifax; Andrew Ferguson, Oakville Crusaders, Mississauga, Ont.; Duncan Maguire, St. Albert RFCC, St. Albert, Alta.

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