NEWS

Round 4 | First XV, Player of the Week

1. Loosehead Prop, Olive Kilifi (Seattle Seawolves) – Oli put on a solid shift in Tukwila for the Seawolves scoring the first try for the home side and keeping the momentum early in the battle. He gained 30 meters on five hard carries and completed seven tackles on defense.
2. Hooker, Eric Howard (New Orleans Gold) – Howard returned from Canada duty and led the New Orleans Gold on the field against RUNY, scoring a try from a driving maul early in the first half to grant NOLA a lead they would not give up until the final quarter. Eric made 17 meters from seven carries and completed 11 tackles.
3. Tighthead Prop, Paddy Ryan (San Diego Legion) – The expert scrum tactician continues to bring his technical skills and leadership against every opponent the Legion have faced. Paddy made five powerful carries for 34 meters gained and 10 tackles on defense.
4. Left Lock, Lou Stanfill (San Diego Legion) – The former USA Eagle does it again: this time as the chief threat in lineout defense, creating disruption against the Warriors throughout the match. Lou gained 30 meters from seven carries on attack and completed 12 tackles on defense.
5. Right Lock, Josh Larsen (Austin Elite) – Josh executed six lineout takes for Austin giving the Elite a much needed second option for their set-piece attack. He proved dominant in his defensive effort with 15 tackles. On attack, Larsen gained 43 meters from nine carries.
6. Blindside Flanker, Lance Williams (Utah Warriors) – Williams carried the ball five times for 30 meters gained. With five lineout takes, he provided the start to numerous mauls for the Utah Warriors attack. He completed 10 tackles on defense for the Warriors.
7. Openside Flanker, Eric Duechle (Seattle Seawolves) – What can’t The Beast do? Eric made powerful carry after powerful carry on attack, carrying the ball 15 times to gain 80 meters, often taking two (or more) Arrows with him. He scored a try mid-way through the second quarter, and capped the night off with great defense, making 17 tackles.
8. No 8., Tony Lamborn (New Orleans Gold) – Tony scored two tries in his first match since suffering an injury against Romania, the first off a driving maul and the second from a scrum near the goal line. Lamborn made 10 carries for 49 meters on attack and completed nine tackles on defense.
9. Scrum-half, Carlo De Nysschen (Glendale Raptors) – Carlo’s second start for the Raptors he proved to be a great replacement for the Eagle Shaun Davies with quick service and great support running that led to his first Major League Rugby try. On attack, he gained 45 meters from nine carries. Carlo also proved stout on defense completing eight tackles.
10. Fly-half, Cathal Marsh (Rugby United New York) – Cathal Marsh in his second match for RUNY showed off every skill he was known for at Leinster: making fast breaks, cheeky passes, and scoring tries. He made 91 meters on nine carries, put the ball in play six times with his foot for 100 meters. Cathal scored 17 points from a try, two penalty kicks, and three conversions.
11. Left Wing, Connor Wallace-Sims (Rugby United New York) – Connor continues to find himself in the right positions through both of RUNY’s matches, this time running an excellent support line to receive a perfect offload from Cathal Marsh, allowing him to score a try right at the posts. With six carries for 55 meters, he also showed off his kicking game, putting the ball in play three times for 117 meters.
12. Inside Center, Guiseppe Du Toit (Toronto Arrows) – Making his Arrows debut, he executed smart offloads and smooth passes following great carries. Du Toit gained 44 meters from six carries and completed 17 tackles. He showed his kicking game by putting the ball in three times resulting in 43 meters gained.
13. Outside Center, Ben Foden (Rugby United New York) – The England international showed he still has it going 80 minutes for RUNY in their second victory of the season.  He did the big things at key moments, carrying the ball six times for 38 meters and made two tackles.
14. Right Wing, Brock Staller (Seattle Seawolves) – Whether it is out wide or inside, Brock finds the holes on attack. He gained 54 meters from six carries, making two tackle breaks. Brock made six of eight kicks on the night, scoring 15 of Seattle’s 35 points.
15. Fullback, Dylan Taikato-Simpson (Glendale Raptors) – Dylan was all over the pitch as an excellent support runner, gaining 31 meters from six carries. Earning a try-assist late in the first half, he set up Harley Davidson’s try with a perfect offload.

Player of the Week: Fly-Half, Cathal Marsh (Rugby United New York) – Fresh off two bye weeks, Cathal Marsh had his hand in almost every score for RUNY. Scoring 17 points from a try, two penalty kicks, three conversion kicks, he also earned a try-assist with a beautiful offload to Connor-Wallace Sims.