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Rugby United New York will take their show on the road for the first time this week when they take on the Boston Mystics on Saturday. Hosted at Mignone Field on the campus of Harvard University, it’s a rematch of the historic meeting between the two sides at Gaelic Park in the Bronx last weekend.
Things didn’t go so well on that day for Boston. Though they might argue they crossed the tryline first, the final score stood 50-0 in favor of New York with the disparity in class between the newly-formed professional side and the aspiring amateurs wholly evident.
Boston will have a second shot at an upset and have opted for a refresh in the forwards for take two. Jeff Laflamme starts at hooker and Dave McKenna moves up one row from lock to tighthead prop.
New Zealand import Michael Kaivelata moves from No8 the second row where Andrew Burns also starts and it’s a new-look back row with Devin Ibanez and veteran Joe Shurmaitis on the flanks. Jon Kokinda switches from openside to the back of the scrum.
The backs remain the same with Matías de Paolis no doubt keen to inspect the in-goal area prior to kickoff. There are three players on the bench who did not appear in the Bronx. Former USC hooker Dana Corcoran and second row Cody Davidowicz provide forward cover, and Old Blue midfielder Sam Sirell makes the jump across state lines from New York to Massachusetts.
At the time of writing New York have not confirmed their lineup but are expected to play a similar side to the one that took the field last week.
Don’t expect the Mystics to overturn a 50-point deficit in the space of a week but a more determined effort on home turf is in order. Certainly getting points on the board will be a matter of pride. Expect this to be another dominant New York victory as they build towards their last act of the spring season against the Ontario Arrows in two weeks’ time.
BOSTON MYSTICS
1 Pino Maupese, 2 Jeff Laflamme, 3 Dave McKenna, 4 Andrew Burns, 5 Michael Kaivelata, 6 Devin Ibanez, 7 Joe Shurmaitis, 8 Jon Kokinda, 9 Ian Luciano, 10 Santiago Bertranou, 11 Vini Daley, 12 Matías de Paolis, 13 Paulo Aukuso, 14 Stephen Dazzo, 15 Jared Collinson
Replacements: 16 Scott Lucas, 17 Dana Corcoran, 18 Cody Davidowicz, 19 Gianni Miceli, 20 Keaton Cashin, 21 Erik Thompson, 22 Sam Sirell, 23 Akinola Raymond, 24 Steve Cappello
RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK
1 Anthony Parry, 2 Dylan Fawsitt (capt.), 3 Kirk Hamilton, 4 David Gannon, 5 Nate Brakeley, 6 Nick Wolley, 7 James Denise, 8 Ross Deacon, 9 Mike Petri, 10 Jack Fitzpatrick, 11 Greg Voigt, 12 Jake Feury, 13 Seamus Kelly, 14 Michael St. Claire, 15 Connor Wallace-Sims
Replacements: 16 Mike Brown, 17 Brian McKellar, 18 Chris Sullivan, 19 Callum Mackintosh, 20 Dave Shotton, 21 Robert McMahon, 22 Alex Schwarz, 23 Gavan D’Amore-Morrison, 24 Marcus Walsh, 25 James Bird, 26 Chris Vakasisikakala, 27 Kyle Granby, 28 Trace Bolstad
Date: Saturday, March 31
Venue: Mignone Field, Boston
Kickoff: 17:00 local (14:00 Pacific)
Broadcasts: n/a
