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With the postponement of NOLA’s home game against Old Glory to Sunday, the opening match of the fourth season of Major League Rugby will feature the San Diego Legion and Rugby United New York playing in Las Vegas. The same two sides unexpectedly closed the pandemic-stricken 2020 campaign when the Legion edged RUNY in one of the most ferocious battles in the league’s short history.
It’s a classic East vs West confrontation that has never failed to deliver – only one of the four previous meetings ended with a difference greater than four points. New York fans are still haunted by the 79th-minute sideline conversion from Joe Pietersen that gave San Diego a famous victory in the 2019 Semi Final at Torero Stadium. RUNY have been on the winning side against San Diego only once, in their MLR regular season debut.
San Diego enter the season as top seeds after their brief but undefeated record in 2020. Much has changed since, however, with Rob Hoadley replaced as Head Coach by his assistants Scott Murray and Zack Test. The starting midfield of Ma’a Nonu and JP du Plessis are also gone, though the likes of sevens stars Cecil Afrika and Cameron Clark bring a new look to the backline.
Meanwhile New York have also said goodbye to their coach Greg McWilliams recently albeit in very different circumstances. Ex-Wasps lock Marty Veale has stepped up in an interim capacity. On the playing side former top tier internationals Andy Ellis and Ben Foden intermix with rising North American stars Hanco Germishuys and Quinn Ngawati.
The latter is a surprise choice on the wing with Fa’asiu Fuatai instead named at outside center. Samu Tawake’s late arrival sees Zak Taulafo starting at tighthead prop, and the bench unusually contains two scrumhalves with the short-staffed forwards absent Eagles pair Nick Civetta and Kyle Sumsion.
At the time of writing San Diego have yet to reveal their match day 23.
Of the six games on offer this weekend this may be the most difficult to predict. Without a packed Torero Stadium behind them San Diego lose part of their home field advantage. New York still face significant travel time though it will have less of an effect at the start of the season. On the whole the Legion should be considered favorites but RUNY are very much in this fight.
Kickoff is set for 3pm local time, 6pm Eastern. Live broadcasts will be available on Fox 5 San Diego locally and The Rugby Network to viewers worldwide.
SAN DIEGO LEGION
1 Faka’osi Pifeleti, 2 Dean Muir, 3 Cronan Gleeson, 4 Ben Mitchell, 5 Siaosi Mahoni, 6 Keni Nasoqeqe, 7 Psalm Wooching, 8 Tevita Tameilau, 9 Nate Augspurger (capt.), 10 Josh Thiel, 11 Ryan Matyas, 12 Dylan Audsley, 13 Cameron Clark, 14 Save Totovosau, 15 Cecil Afrika
Replacements: 16 Peter Malcolm, 17 Nathan Sylvia, 18 Chris Baumann, 19 Jasa Veremalua, 20 Travis Larsen, 21 Carlo de Nysschen, 22 Santiago González Iglesias, 23 Bjorn Basson
RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK
1 James Rochford, 2 Dylan Fawsitt (capt.), 3 Zak Taulafo, 4 Nate Brakeley, 5 Charlie Hewitt, 6 Hanco Germishuys, 7 Kara Pryor, 8 Evan Mintern, 9 Andy Ellis, 10 Dan Hollinshead, 11 Apenisa Cakaubalavu, 12 Will Leonard, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Quinn Ngawati, 15 Ben Foden
Replacements: 16 Rob Irimescu, 17 Anthony Parry, 18 Wilton Rebolo, 19 Benjamín Bonasso, 20 Conor McManus, 21 Harry Bennett, 22 Chris Mattina, 23 Connor Buckley
Date: Saturday, March 20
Venue: James Regional Sports Park, Las Vegas
Kickoff: 15:00 local (18:00 Eastern)
Broadcasts: Fox 5 San Diego, The Rugby Network
Historical Results:
2020-03-08 – San Diego 24, New York 20 (Torero Stadium)
2019-06-09 – San Diego 24, New York 22 (Torero Stadium)
2019-04-14 – New York 19, San Diego 29 (MCU Park)
2019-01-27 – San Diego 23, New York 25 (Torero Stadium)
