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The dream is almost reality. On Saturday the starting guns will go off and the second season of Major League Rugby will begin at Gold Stadium where the New Orleans Gold play host to the Toronto Arrows. It’s a truly historic occasion with the Arrows carrying the banner as Canada’s first ever professional rugby union franchise.
To see the project finally come to fruition will be a special moment for co-founders Bill Webb and Mark Winokur, and Canadian rugby fans from coast to coast will watch with enormous interest as the promise of professional rugby finally arrives. Representing the team in their first match are some of Canada’s best domestic players.
Lucas Rumball has been named Arrows captain for the season, perhaps not a surprise given his leadership role with Canada’s national side. He lines up slightly out of position at No8 but with Jack Nay still to arrive from England and a number of outstanding flankers in the team it’s the back of the scrum where he’ll start.
On the topic of flankers, fans won’t have to wait for the much-anticipated return of John Moonlight. The 2015 World Cup starter and hasn’t played high level XV-a-side rugby since and brought the curtains down on his legendary sevens career last April. He pairs with Peter Milazzo to give the Arrows three workhorse loose forwards.
There are four Canadian internationals in the tight five, with New Brunswick native Cole Keith handed the starting tighthead shirt. AJ Quattrin is uncapped straggler but the promising hooker will be watched closely by the national selectors this season. Mike Sheppard has ceded the captaincy to Rumball but remains a key figure in the second row.
Jamie Mackenzie, Guiseppe du Toit, and Theo Sauder miss out due to Americas Rugby Championship commitments along with Uruguayan pair Leandro Leivas and Gastón Mieres but the backline shows no signs of weakness. Andrew Ferguson makes his full return from the bicep injury that ruled him out of the World Cup Qualifiers in November and he partners electric New Zealander Sam Malcolm in the halfbacks.
The outside backs are a strength for the Arrows and it will be evident from the get-go with international pair Kainoa Lloyd and Dan Moor adding pace and power on the wings. Former Wales age-grade international Jack Evans makes his debut and the Canadian-born fullback is another player of interest to the national coaches.
For NOLA this is truly a new start, the first chance to put the traumatic 2018 season to bed. They have come through the four-game preseason schedule unscathed and are absent only South American call-ups Ignacio Dotti and Nikola Bursic from their full arsenal.
Ontario native Eric Howard will earn his captaincy stripes against many of his provincial and international mates. He is one of three Canadians in the pack, along with loosehead prop Hubert Buydens and blindside flanker Kyle Baillie. The latter makes his regular season MLR debut with high expectations after a storming return from shoulder surgery last year.
New signings Kane Thompson and Cam Dolan, along with Baillie, will make things difficult for the Arrows lineout and there is a surprise selection at openside flanker. Zack Stryffeler saw limited action there with the Ohio Aviators in 2016 but was used exclusively in the midfield for the Gold last season. He gets the nod ahead of incumbent John Sullivan and All-American standout Malcolm May. South African powerhouse Vince Jobo also settles for a bench role, still short of full fitness after returning from a long-term Achilles injury.
The backline is overflowing with talent and starts exactly as it did throughout the preseason. Former Queensland Reds halfback Scott Gale will run out in the No10 shirt with Holden Yungert forming a halfback duo built for speedy service.
In the midfield it’s two southern hemisphere imports in former Australia Sevens captain Con Foley and Southern Kings speedster Tristan Blewett. Eagles cap Tim Maupin is named on the wing and the versatile JP Eloff will provide the x-factor from fullback while also acting as vice-captain.
There isn’t much more you could ask from a season opener. With NOLA getting a major face-lift in the off-season and the Arrows the first of two exciting expansion sides to take the field, this promises to be an absorbing fixture. Handed the responsibility of controlling the action is Scott Green, the New Zealand-born Texas resident who also blew the whistle in the inaugural MLR Final.
The scrum battle will be of huge interest particularly between Canada teammates Hubert Buydens and Cole Keith. NOLA have some intimidating figures at the lineout and the Arrows will need to be accurate to secure first phase possession. The back row, however, leans slightly towards Toronto with a lot being asked of Stryffeler.
Out wide it will all guns blazing with ideal playing conditions on the forecast and both sides opting for speed over brute force. Toronto will have an advantage in the kicking game with Gale less experienced at No10 than Malcolm and the likes of Ferguson, Leveridge, and Evans all strong with the boot.
There are close calls in every match this weekend and this is arguably the closest. Both teams have their sights set on the post-season and will be desperate to make a statement. How quickly each side gets up to speed after the shock of the opening whistle could well be the difference. It’s a coin-toss decision but the scales lean ever so slightly towards the Arrows.
Kickoff is set for 2pm local time, 3pm Eastern. Broadcasts will be available locally on Cox Sports TV in New Orleans and GameTV in Canada, nationally on ESPN+, and there will be a live stream available world-wide on the Arrows Facebook page.
NEW ORLEANS GOLD
1 Hubert Buydens, 2 Eric Howard (capt.), 3 Ben Tarr, 4 Kane Thompson, 5 Billy Stewart, 6 Kyle Baillie, 7 Zack Stryffeler, 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Holden Yungert, 10 Scott Gale, 11 Joeli Tikoisuva, 12 Con Foley, 13 Tristan Blewett, 14 Tim Maupin, 15 JP Eloff
Replacements: 16 Matt Harmon, 17 Cam Falcon, 18 Kevin Sullivan, 19 Malcolm May, 20 John Sullivan, 21 Vince Jobo, 22 Taylor Howden, 23 Nick Feakes
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Rob Brouwer, 2 AJ Quattrin, 3 Cole Keith, 4 Mike Sheppard, 5 Paul Ciulini, 6 Peter Milazzo, 7 John Moonlight, 8 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 9 Andrew Ferguson, 10 Sam Malcolm, 11 Kainoa Lloyd, 12 Jamie Leveridge, 13 Spencer Jones, 14 Dan Moor, 15 Jack Evans
Replacements: 16 Steve Ng, 17 Tom Dolezel, 18 Morgan Mitchell, 19 Kolby Francis, 20 Marcello Wainwright, 21 Riley DiNardo, 22 Johnny Sheridan, 23 Shawn Windsor
Date: Saturday, January 26
Venue: Gold Stadium, New Orleans
Kickoff: 14:00 local (12:00 Pacific, 15:00 Eastern)
Referee: Scott Green (USAR)
Assistants: Pali Deluca (UAR) & Ed Gardner (USAR)
Broadcasts: Cox Sports TV, ESPN+, GameTV, Facebook
