VANNES, France - A slow start and a string of mistakes cost Canada in a 23-13 loss to Samoa in a rugby test match Friday.The Samoans put off-the-field issues aside for the evening in bouncing back from last weeks 24-13 loss to Italy. Upset at the Samoa Rugby Unions management style and pay, the 11th-ranked Samoans had threatened to boycott next weeks game against England until the International Rugby Board stepped in. Mike Stanley, in his first start for Samoa, kicked 13 points and the Pacific Islanders never trailed on a wet pitch at Stade de la Rabine.The 17th-ranked Canadians, who had a much better second half, closed the gap to 16-13 with less than 10 minutes remaining but gifted the Samoans a try on the ensuing restart and never recovered.Stanley made five of eight kicks — three penalties and two conversions. The New Zealand-born England-raised fly half, who qualifies for Samoa through his father, made his Samoa debut last week in the loss to No. 14 Italy that dropped the Samoans two places in the world rankings.Replacement prop Anthony Perenise and back Winston Stanley — no relation to Mike or the former Canadian star winger of the same name — scored tries for Samoa.Outside centre Conor Trainor scored Canadas lone try, which was converted by James Pritchard. Gordon McRorie added two penalties, including a long-range effort.Samoa beat Canada 42-12 the last time the two met, two years ago in Wales.The Canadian men wrap up their tour Nov. 22 in Bucharest against No. 18 Romania. The tour opened with a 28-23 loss to an all-star squad from the second-tier league of English rugby and a 17-13 win over No. 22 Namibia.Samoa heads to London next for its date with No. 4 England at Twickenham.Canada started poorly Friday, conceding four penalties in the first 12 minutes. Stanley put Samoa up 9-0 on three penalties before McRorie hit back with a kick from the halfway line.Trainor was sent to the sin-bin in the 28th minute as referee Gordon Clancy produced the yellow card for persistent infringement by Canada. Samoa led 9-3 at the half.A different Canadian side came out in the second half and attacked the Samoans, narrowing the gap to 9-6 with an early McRorie penalty kick.Winger DTH van der Merwe made a fine run down the sideline, only to lose his balance on the wet turf. Canada missed another chance when McRorie dropped the ball near the goal-line after a slashing run by Trainor.Perenise scored the first try of the game in the 60th minute, rumbling over the line. Trainors converted try in the 71st minute drew Canada within three at 16-13 and it seemed game on.But on the ensuing restart, Nanyak Dalas pass to Patrick Parfrey deflected back and Samoa recovered, with Winston Stanley going over the try.English-born flanker Richard Thorpe came on in the 56th minute for his first Canadian cap. The London Welsh back-row forward qualifies for Canada since his mother is from Burlington, Ont. Los Angeles Dodgers Shirts .Just like old times.Only this time, just one got to enjoy a victory.James return to Miami as an opponent was a success — for the Heat, that is. Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng had 25 points and dogged James defensively all night, and the Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in a hyped Christmas matchup Thursday. Dodgers Jerseys 2019 . Hes had three top-10 results this season and feels ready to put it all together and finally hoist a trophy at the top level. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/225h-...ey-dodgers.html. PETERSBURG, Fla. Gary Sheffield Jersey . 1 overall pick in the draft by the Houston Texans, is recovering from sports hernia surgery. Manny Mota Jersey . This week, topics cover the Blue Jays rotation, the futures John Gibbons and Alex Anthopoulos, protecting pitchers and a bonus question on his predictions for the MLB playoffs.Rory McIlroy didnt have his best stuff this week and, if youre a professional golfer, thats very, very scary. For a while on Sunday during the final round of the PGA Championship, one of the most exciting and memorable in many years, it appeared as if the Northern Irishman was going to let the peloton of chasers pass him, that his run of exacting play was going to end. When he stood in the 10th fairway waiting to play his second shot, he saw Rickie Fowler birdie to go up three shots. Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson were also ahead of him. It was, he admitted later, time to make something happen, and thats just what he did. “I needed to sort of stay patient and just sort of bide my time and wait for something to click,” McIlroy said. “Something to happen and that something happened on the 10th-hole. To make eagle there was a big turning point in the tournament and, from there, I kicked on and played some great golf down the stretch.” Great golf, but not the kind of golf that saw him win his last Majors by three, six and eight shots. This time, he had to grind it out and push himself uphill to the finish line. But he did just that and its that performance that makes it all the more satisfying. “To win it in this fashion and this style, it means a lot,” said the 25-year-old. “It means that I know that I can do it. I know that I can come from behind. I know that I can mix it up with the best players in the world down the stretch in a major and come out on top. “Phil Mickelson, the second-best player in this year and this generation, to be able to beat him on the back nine on a Sunday; its great to have in the memory bank and great to have in the locker going forward.” If it was impressive to watch him lap the field in his previous Majors, it was stunning to see him contrrol the back nine on this occasion.dddddddddddd Over the final five holes, each of the trio of chasers made a bogey: Stenson and Fowler on the 14th, Mickelson on the 16th. McIlroy played that stretch in one-under. Oh, there was that helping hand from the PGA of America on the final hole. As the sun was setting, Mickelson and Fowler allowed McIlroy and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger to hit their tee shots before the former pair had played their second.But then the PGA, hustling to get finished before enduring a massive logistical and possibly financial nightmare to come back for a Monday finish, told the last two to play their second shots to the green. It was a breach of etiquette and one a gracious McIlroy made sure to acknowledge to Mickelson and Fowler in the scorers room, as well as in his thank you speech on the 18th-green (a ceremony that took place basically in the pitch black). What Rory did was simple: Control the ball. Control his emotions. Control the game. And thats whats scary if youre a golfer. Or impressive if youre a fan. Earlier this year, McIlroy sat down with Jack Nicklaus and had a long conversation about all things golf. The Golden Bear told the Holywood Kid that he only had his best stuff in about five of the 18 majors he won. The other times, he simply found a way to win. Thats what McIlroy seemed to discover yesterday - that he can beat the best without his best. McIlroy refused to call this a new era, a passing of the baton from that broken-down, old Tiger Woods. “People can call it what they want, thats for them to decide,” he stated. “I just know that I can win tournaments.” Its easy to get ahead of ourselves so soon after a victory, to anoint the new king before the old one is gone, but it sure seems as if the next few years are going to be fun to watch if yesterday was any indication. ' ' '