MLR Season Preview – San Diego Legion

When Major League Rugby was first revealed back in February 2017 there were immediate cries of foul that no team from California was involved. After all, three of the five teams in PRO Rugby had been from the USA’s vibrant West Coast rugby community. Thankfully there was good news on the way, the San Diego Legion were coming to play.

It took a while for the first roster names to come out, they weren’t officially confirmed until just a couple months ago. Suddenly the team was bursting with stars – 11 capped Eagles plus a horde of USA Sevens residents at their disposal. Maybe this team was going to be… too good?

With the regular season now upon us some holes in their roster have become very apparent and with only two preseason games there has been little time to gel as a unit. Pure talent will only get them so far.

STRENGTHS

There is dynamite in the backline, more than seems fair to be frank. Four Eagles starters from the Americas Rugby Championship are present with nearly every option a USA international at some level. They’ve even brought Taku Ngwenya back from France to have another run in San Diego.

Most impressive is their midfield stocks. Dylan Audsley impressed in his maiden ARC campaign earlier this year and Ben Cima has been seeing time at center in the preseason. At 6’5” tall (1.95m) UCal Golden Bears graduate Anthony Salaber is a unique prospect who could emerge as a star.

The loose forwards are almost as intimidating. Cam Dolan is a household name for USA rugby fans and Malon Al-Jiboori earned his first cap against Chile in February. Derrick Broussard, Chris Turori, and Sione Tu’ihalamaka are San Diego Breakers veterans.

QUESTIONS

If this was a sevens competition, the Legion could probably put together two teams strong enough to play each other in the final. Unfortunately for them this is 15-a-side rugby, and that means you need to have a decent tight five to win the set pieces. As of now this is a major weakness.

Eagles loosehead prop Tony Purpura is a good start but the rest of the front row are question marks. New arrival Dolph Botha has one Super Rugby cap to his name with the Cheetahs in 2015 but it’s fair to say he’s not in Super Rugby condition right now. Aaron Mitchell has returned to the sport after starting on the Fresno State offensive line and he’ll need time to get back into rugby shape.

The second row is perhaps even more of a worry. OMBAC veteran Jay Harmon is the only genuine lock in the side with Dolan forced to play there in one preseason match. They’ve shoehorned South Africa loose forward Lance Lamprecht in for now but the bottom line is this team needs some reinforcements.

HOME FIELD

It’s back to a familiar venue for San Diego rugby fans as Torero Stadium will once again host a professional team. It shares the largest capacity in the league with Houston’s Dyer Stadium at 6,000 and though it’s a bit dated it’s a suitable venue to get the ball rolling again. Breakers veterans like Turori and Ngwenya will feel right at home albeit in slightly different colors this time.

HEAD COACH

It’s not just the playing roster that has a sevens feel to it. Two former HSBC Sevens Series stars have been snatched up as assistant coaches in the USA’s Zack Test and England’s Chris Cracknell. Thankfully there is at least one 15-a-side specialist on the staff with Rob Hoadley taking the role of Head Coach. He’s certainly well traveled, having coached professionally in England, Wales, Japan, and now the USA since retiring as a player in 2009. He’s also familiar to USA fans having been employed as an assistant coach with the Eagles under John Mitchell.

CAPTAIN

Having led the Eagles in two successful ARC campaigns Nate Augspurger was a natural choice to take the skipper’s armband for the Legion. The 28-year-old is an inspirational leader. He can make mistakes but never gives less than his best and has the ability to create something out of nothing. Augspurger will need to be at the top of his game to win the Eagles No9 jersey with the likes of Shaun Davies and Holden Yungert in the mix and more contenders sure to emerge in MLR.

KEY PLAYERS

After spending the best part of three years kicking his heels in the UK the prodigal son has returned to welcome a new era in American rugby. Cam Dolan has long been on the edge of excellence and finally seems to be living up to his potential. An outstanding athlete with the height to dominate the lineout and the speed of a back, he should prove one of the most influential forwards in the competition.

At just 22 years old Ben Cima has 10 Eagles caps to his name and seems to have been around much longer having been earmarked for greatness from a young age. Blessed with natural talent, his goal kicking at its best is extraordinary. Cima’s preference is to play flyhalf but with Tadhg Leader also on board he could also spend time in the midfield or even at fullback.

Of course the first choice player in the No15 shirt is surely the sidestepping sensation Mike Te’o. Few players can match his ability to beat a player one-on-one. His physique disguises just how quick he is. Te’o is positively electric with ball in hand, a human highlight reel and a safe bet to lead the league in tries come season’s end.

ONE TO WATCH

Unless you come from Waikato or maybe the Chicago area in recent times, chances are you haven’t heard of Mungo Mason. Yet. The 22-year-old flanker has already impressed enough to be named vice-captain and it’s no surprise given his pedigree. Mason comes from the Chiefs academy system in New Zealand where he was a Secondary Schools Barbarians selection, the second-highest age-grade select side in the country. Big things are expected from this one.

OUTLOOK

It’s pretty simple really. As things stand the Legion are good enough to crack the Semi Finals. Whether or not they can push beyond that depends entirely on piecing together a competitive forward pack. At the moment they can’t live with the likes of Glendale or Houston in that department. How they fare against a fearsome Seattle scrum this weekend will be a good indication of what they’re capable of.

 

A detailed roster and fixture list can be seen here.