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A match of considerable intrigue will take place at Infinity Park on Saturday evening as two of Major League Rugby‘s strongest sides battle for supremacy. There is also a bit of history to be resolved. When last they met, the Glendale Raptors were one win away from a perfect season in 2018. Unbeknownst to them, the San Diego Legion had plans of their own.
Revenge may be a secondary consideration in actual fact but this will be viewed as a must-win game for both. The Raptors have named their strongest lineup of the season that includes four returning Eagles but also an interesting switch in the front row.
With their scrum unconvincing thus far, Glendale have shaken things up by switching Kelepi Fifita and Blake Rogers. Unless the team sheet is mistaken, Rogers will play tighthead having worn the No1 all season. The swap also seems to have taken place on the bench where Marco Fepuea’i, normally a tighthead, is wearing the No17 shirt, traditionally worn by the reserve loosehead.
The biggest changes personnel-wise are in the back row and the halfbacks. Hanco Germishuys and Malon Al-Jiboori form a brutal loose forward trio with Brendan Daly, and star halfbacks Shaun Davies and Will Magie have also returned from the Americas Rugby Championship.
There is just one further change in the starting side as Mika Kruse is recalled at outside center with Chad London moving to the bench. Ata Malifa, who has done an admirable job filling in for Magie at flyhalf, is also on the bench that has no shortage of quality waiting to make an impact.
San Diego are a completely different side from the one that played spoilers last June. Only two players who started that day do so again, those being Devin Short and Conor Kearns. Six games into the new season the team has been relatively consistent. There are only two changes to the run-on side that slipped up against the Arrows last week.
With no sign of Louis Stanfill it’s a first start this campaign for giant lock Siaosi Mahoni who packs down beside Keni Nasoqeqe. In the backs it’s another USA international who steps in as Mike Te’o returns to take up a spot on the right wing.
The bench has an interesting look to it. Only three specialist props are fit for duty so Kapeli Pifeleti is asked to provide loosehead backup for his brother. It’s a position the younger Pifeleti has played before albeit at age-grade level. Pat Blair comes in as hooker cover
There is another surprise in the No19 jersey as Jasa Veremalua is asked to provide emergency cover in the forwards having started on the wing all season. The 6’5″ (1.95m) Fijian has the height and was a forward on the HSBC Sevens Series but has not played in a XV-a-side pack for years.
In terms of momentum it’s the Raptors who come in on top, unbeaten in four matches while absent their top players. San Diego’s own streak was snapped against Toronto, and they will be keen to get back to track. Winning at Infinity Park – where the Raptors are yet to lose an MLR game – will take some doing. Despite a near-even split from the pundits, Glendale should enter as favorites.
Kickoff is set for 7pm local, 6pm Pacific, 9pm Eastern. A live stream will be available on 9news.
GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Kelepi Fifita, 2 Zach Fenoglio, 3 Blake Rogers, 4 Casey Rock, 5 Luke White, 6 Brendan Daly, 7 Hanco Germishuys, 8 Malon Al-Jiboori, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Will Magie, 11 Harley Davidson, 12 Robbie Petzer, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 John Ryberg, 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson
Replacements: 16 Chad Gough, 17 Marco Fepulea’i, 18 Max Lum, 19 Will Munro, 20 Connor Cook, 21 Mickey Bateman, 22 Ata Malifa, 23 Chad London
SAN DIEGO LEGION
1 Faka’osi Pifeleti, 2 Dean Muir, 3 Paddy Ryan, 4 Siaosi Mahoni, 5 Keni Nasoqeqe, 6 Psalm Wooching, 7 Devin Short, 8 Jordan Manihera, 9 Nate Augspurger, 10 Joe Pietersen (capt.), 11 Conor Kearns, 12 JP du Plessis, 13 Dylan Audsley, 14 Mike Te’o, 15 Kyle Rogers
Replacements: 16 Pat Blair, 17 Kapeli Pifeleti, 18 Aaron Mitchell, 19 Jasa Veremalua, 20 Drew Gaffney, 21 Nick Boyer, 22 Tai Enosa, 23 Nick Lupian
Date: Saturday, March 16
Venue: Infinity Park, Glendale
Kickoff: 19:00 local (18:00 Pacific, 21:00 Eastern)
Referee: Derek Summers (USAR)
Assistants: Robin Kaluzniak (RC) & Cam Pettit (USAR)
Broadcasts: 9News
