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This was Major League Rugby’s biggest season yet with 13 teams and 109 games played. An extra round of playoffs was added and off-field controversy saw the top two teams in the Western Conference disqualified from contesting for the Shield.
New England set a new standard for success in the regular season but it was Eastern Conference rivals New York who stole the show when it mattered most. Seattle became the first team to reach the Final three times. At the other end of the spectrum, Dallas were tormented in their inaugural campaign and became the second team to complete a season with no victories.
On the playing side there was no shortage of quality to pick from. Injuries and suspensions ruled out some would-be contenders while others were simply overtaken by some of the exceptional new talent on display. In general, this was the most difficult season to narrow down the list of finalists.
A notable change from last year is that no team has more than three players selected. This was not intentional but is perhaps a reflection of the competitive balance in the competition. In terms of individuals there are only two names from last year’s team, the rest earn their place for the first time.
As ever the primary consideration for selection was sustained form throughout the season. This year’s fan picks did not ultimately influence our choices but are worth recognizing nonetheless.
1 – Mzamo Majola (Seattle Seawolves) Missed the first two weeks of the season but still played more minutes than any other front rower in the competition. Majola averaged an astounding 73 minutes a game. No other prop even came close. Held his own in the scrum and made plenty of hard yards with ball in hand. Fan choice Chance Wenglewski, last year’s winner, was our runner-up. FAN VOTE: Chance Wenglewski (Rugby New York)
2 – Marko Janse van Rensburg (Rugby ATL) A difficult choice with Houston’s Dean Muir, Austin’s Hugh Roach, and fan choice Dylan Fawsitt were all excellent. An injury towards the end of the season heavily affected his impact in the playoff against New York but Janse van Rensburg had already proved his worth. Scored nine tries and added a propensity for line breaks to his already excellent set piece play. FAN VOTE: Dylan Fawsitt (Rugby New York)
3 – Juan Pablo Zeiss (Houston SaberCats) ATL’s John-Roy Jenkinson was the best in the scrum, but Zeiss wasn’t far behind. The Argentine was outstanding in all facets with crunching tackles and powerful carries a regular feature of his game. The fans agreed. FAN VOTE: Juan Pablo Zeiss (Houston SaberCats)
4 – Josh Larsen (New England Free Jacks) A contender on the right side last year, this season he packed down on the left side and won our vote by a nose. Larsen captained the Free Jacks to new MLR records for consecutive wins and regular season wins, and was 20 minutes away from making the final. He is a complete menace anywhere near the ruck or maul and a savvy lineout operator. No argument from the fans, but we’ll also tip our cap to LA’s Dave Dennis, San Diego’s Ben Mitchell, and ATL’s Johan Momsen. FAN VOTE: Josh Larsen (New England Free Jacks)
5 – Isaac Ross (Austin Gilgronis) On the right side we went with the most dominant lineout jumper in MLR. The former All Black isn’t the swiftest around the pitch anymore but his handling skills made him an effective ball carrier that often put others through gaps on the gainline. FAN VOTE: Isaac Ross (Austin Gilgronis)
6 – Benjamín Bonasso (Rugby New York) For us this came down to Utah’s Lance Williams, a previous winner, and New York’s Argentine Eagle. Bonasso was shoehorned into lock in the playoffs but there’s no doubt he belongs in the back row. A rangy ball-runner who can link with the backs, busy in defense, and a frequent source of possession at the lineout. Also captained the side on five occasions including two of New York’s three playoff games. FAN VOTE: Benjamín Bonasso (Rugby New York)
7 – Brendon O’Connor (Rugby New York) Most teams had a pretty good option here and the quality of those who didn’t even make our top four choices shows the level of competition for his jersey. O’Connor was not as flashy as other contenders but seemed to be in the middle of every scrap for possession. Seemed to be put together by tape by the end of the season, head included. New England’s Slade McDowall might have pinched it if not ill-discipline, while the fans opted for rising Canadian talent Michael Smith. FAN VOTE: Michael Smith (San Diego Legion)
8 – Riekert Hattingh (Seattle Seawolves) Perhaps the only surprise here is that Hattingh has never made the final cut before, though he has come close. The Seawolves captain set a new league record for most minutes played, appearing in 96% of Seattle’s 19 games. His 10 tries scored was tied with Dean Muir for second in the league. A towering figure at the back of Seattle’s scrum. FAN VOTE: Riekert Hattingh (Seattle Seawolves)
9 – Harrison Goddard (LA Giltinis) There were probably half-a-dozen players who could justifiably be considered here, and we accept this will be hotly debated. In the end we narrowed it down to Austin’s Ryan Louwrens and our eventual winner. It’s a second straight decision for Goddard, who looked just as classy filling in at flyhalf on occasion. His outstanding kicking game was the deciding factor. The fans chose to recognize the tireless efforts of Danny Tusitala in an Old Glory side that struggled. FAN VOTE: Danny Tusitala (Old Glory DC)
10 – Beaudein Waaka (New England Free Jacks) No question here, and the runaway choice as the best individual player this season. Waaka made the move to flyhalf permanent and never looked back. Second only to Seattle’s AJ Alatimu in points scored and simply magical with ball in hand. Fans around the league can only applaud as he departs for the Last of the Rising Sun. FAN VOTE: Beaudein Waaka (New England Free Jacks)
11 – Ed Fidow (Rugby New York) To think that New York won even without their star left winger. Fidow was rampant from his first touch, a force of nature with ball in hand. Perhaps only Austin’s Julián Domínguez could compare in terms of sheer strike power. Fidow’s 12 tries were the tops in the league, and his smile only widened when opposition dared try to stop him. FAN VOTE: Ed Fidow (Rugby New York)
12 – Billy Meakes (LA Giltinis) The most difficult position to choose. New York’s Jason Emery and New England’s Le Roux Malan would be perfectly acceptable choices here. In the end we went with Meakes again, because his performances simply never wavered. When LA was struggling at the beginning of the season, he was still winning turnovers at the breakdown and crashing over the gainline. Didn’t have his mates Giteau and Ashley-Cooper beside him this season and was every bit as effective. FAN VOTE: Billy Meakes (LA Giltinis)
13 – Mark O’Keeffe (Austin Gilgronis) Sam Harris wanted more firepower in the midfield and that’s exactly what they got when they signed O’Keeffe from ATL. It’s not just the line breaks and tries scored that make O’Keeffe a relatively straightforward choice here. His defensive work rate is as good as it gets, as Utah fans can certainly attest! FAN VOTE: Mark O’Keeffe (Austin Gilgronis)
14 – Mitch Wilson (New England Free Jacks) One of the league’s smallest backs and also one of the toughest. Try to trample over Wilson at your own peril. Combines the skills of a flyhalf with serious pace, and seems to find holes where there aren’t any with his deceiving upper-body strength. A worthy addition to the Eagles squad. Fan choice Andrew Coe is another with exceptional all-round ability. FAN VOTE: Andrew Coe (Rugby New York)
15 – Duncan Matthews (Seattle Seawolves) The fans went with the romantic choice, the venerable Joe Pietersen whose place among the league’s all-time greats is assured. Our vote goes to a man 10 years his junior. Matthews took over the No15 shirt from Seattle legend Mat Turner and made it his own with some electric counter-attacks. Scored a respectable 7 tries but created many more. We only wish he was fit to play in the final against New York. FAN VOTE: Joe Pietersen (San Diego Legion)
2021 DREAM TEAM
1 Chance Wenglewski (Rugby ATL), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (Rugby United New York), 3 Dino Waldren (NOLA Gold), 4 Johan Momsen (Rugby ATL), 5 Nate Brakeley (Rugby United New York), 6 Angus Cottrell (LA Giltinis), 7 Lucas Rumball (Toronto Arrows), 8 Cam Dolan (NOLA Gold), 9 Harrison Goddard (LA Giltinis), 10 Matt Giteau (LA Giltinis), 11 DTH van der Merwe (LA Giltinis), 12 Billy Meakes (LA Giltinis), 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper (LA Giltinis), 14 Mika Kruse (Utah Warriors), 15 Mikey Te’o (Utah Warriors)
2020 DREAM TEAM
1 James Rochford (Rugby United New York), 2 Diego Fortuny (Houston SaberCats), 3 Cole Keith (Toronto Arrows), 4 Johan Momsen (Rugby ATL), 5 Nate Brakeley (Rugby United New York), 6 Tomás de la Vega (Toronto Arrows), 7 Mungo Mason (Old Glory DC), 8 Cam Dolan (NOLA Gold), 9 Danny Tusitala (Old Glory DC), 10 Jason Robertson (Old Glory DC), 11 Julián Domínguez (NOLA Gold), 12 Ma’a Nonu (San Diego Legion), 13 Carl Meyer (NOLA Gold), 14 Save Totovosau (San Diego Legion), 15 Sam Malcolm (Toronto Arrows)
2019 DREAM TEAM
1 Rob Brouwer (Toronto Arrows), 2 Dylan Fawsitt (Rugby United New York), 3 Paddy Ryan (San Diego Legion), 4 Mike Sheppard (Toronto Arrows), 5 Brad Tucker (Seattle Seawolves), 6 Lance Williams (Utah Warriors), 7 Nakai Penny (Seattle Seawolves), 8 Ross Deacon (Rugby United New York), 9 Nate Augspurger (San Diego Legion), 10 Joe Pietersen (San Diego Legion), 11 John Ryberg (Glendale Raptors), 12 JP du Plessis (San Diego Legion), 13 Tristan Blewett (NOLA Gold), 14 Brock Staller (Seattle Seawolves), 15 Mat Turner (Seattle Seawolves)
2018 DREAM TEAM
1 Olive Kilifi (Seattle Seawolves), 2 Zach Fenoglio (Glendale Raptors), 3 Tim Metcher (Seattle Seawolves), 4 Ben Mitchell (Austin Elite), 5 Matt Jensen (Utah Warriors), 6 Hanco Germishuys (Austin Elite), 7 Vili Toluta’u (Seattle Seawolves), 8 Sam Figg (Glendale Raptors), 9 Phil Mack (Seattle Seawolves), 10 Will Magie (Glendale Raptors), 11 Tonata Lauti (Utah Warriors), 12 Paul Lasike (Utah Warriors), 13 William Rasileka (Seattle Seawolves), 14 Harley Davidson (Glendale Raptors), 15 Maximo de Achaval (Glendale Raptors)
