NEWS

Round 16 Recap

WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER DIEGEL FOR THE RUGBY NETWORK

A couple of upset victories set things up for a very dramatic last two weeks of the 2021 MLR season. Elsewhere, a return of one of the 2020’s most dangerous scorers and the latest iteration of the league’s best rivalry highlighted Week 16’s action.

Things Just Got Very Interesting in the Eastern Conference

On the road with half of its starting pack called up for the touring USA/Canada sides against a full-force LA squad with Matt Giteau, Billy Meakes and Adam Ashley-Cooper, things did not look great for New Orleans Sunday night. Things followed script with LA up 14-3 at halftime. Then NOLA Gold took that script, tore it up and threw it in the trash.

When Hanno Dirksen dove across the line in the 78th minute he did more than secure the upset win for the Gold. The try moved his team into second place in the Eastern Conference via tiebreaker over Rugby United New York. New York was in turn the victims of an upset, this one at the hands of the New England Free Jacks whose stingy defense held Ben Foden and company at bay en route to a 22-6 victory.

There are no easy wins in MLR but each set team is set to face two of the league’s bottom feeders in Seattle and Houston next week. If the contenders  come away with a victory it would setup an epic Week 18. We might be looking at an extra week of playoff rugby with a spot to the dance on the line for NOLA and New York.

NOLA’s win over LA created a second interesting note…

Beasts in the East Now 3-0 Against Best in the West

Rugby ATL, NOLA, and New York have now gone a perfect 3-0 in their respective matchups against LA. Those mark the Giltins’ only three losses of the season as the team has run the table in the Western Conference.

If the MLR Shield ends up in the hands of one of the East’s best, will have secured bragging rights as the league’s superior conference in 2021.

Sam Malcolm is Still Really Good at Rugby

With half of its roster called up to the Canadian side the odds looked to be in favor of Old Glory extending Toronto’s losing streak. Enter Sam Malcolm. Malcolm made a late 2021 debut for an Arrows’ squad that doesn’t have much to play for at this point in the season, but you wouldn’t have known that on Sunday. Malcolm was an instrumental spark plug for the Road Warriors; his second half try was the decider against Old Glory.

If the team can secure Tayler Adams, one of the league’s leading scorers and Malcolm for 2022, it could have a devastating 10-15 combination to build on. Add in a return to Toronto and this team could return to contender status after a rough 2021.

New England’s Grubber Game Was on Point

The Free Jacks enjoyed the spoiler role Saturday, truly playing like a team with nothing to lose. First it was Dougie Fife sacrificing his entire rib cage to set up the game’s first try. Then it was two nifty stab-throughs to setup the second and third.

Up just 5-3 at 63’ Beaudein Waaka displayed a little bit of brilliance with the boot as he has all season with a grubber through the defense, dotted down by #12 Harrison Boyle. It looked like New York might have touched it down first to secure the 22 restart but hey, fortune favors the bold.

Waaka struck again to set up the back breaker at 71’. Up 12-6 after a New York penalty kick and the result still very much in the balance, the New England #10 got the ball quickly after a turnover and wasted no time taking a shot down the left hand sideline. Young Harry Barlow was there for the try and just like that, the upset victory was secured over New York.

Seattle and San Diego Remain the League’s Best Rivalry

The weekend started with a couple of former finalists who found themselves way out of the playoff picture. That didn’t stop the San Diego Legion from going after the Seawolves with everything they had on the way to 34-21 victory.

San Diego avenged an earlier 14-11 defeat, which remains Seattle’s most recent victory. Things may not have gone their way in 2021, but expect both of these teams to return to the fray ready to rumble in 2022.