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A pair of Major League Rugby development sides will collide at Lupo Family Field in Marrietta on Saturday afternoon. Pathway 404 are fresh off a victory over the NOLA Gold Academy, and the Rugby ATL feeder program will now take on the Utah Warriors Selects.
In fact the 404 roster has a number of senior MLR players including three capped Eagles in the pack – front rowers Chance Wenglewski and Alex Maughan, and second row Harry Higgins. New signing Jalen Tatum runs out at openside flanker with back row Jason Damm trialed alongside Higgins at lock.
Super Rugby veteran Kurt Coleman is the standout in the backline with USA Selects rep Martini Talapusi at inside center. Both draft picks are included with John Scotti starting in the midfield and Mike Matarazzo covering lock or loose forward from the bench.
Utah have named only one of their four draft picks. Elijah Hayes will provide backup for the enormous figure of Zephir Lambert at tighthead prop. South African lock James Mocke is tipped for a senior MLR deal while outstanding loose forward Lance Williams returns from a serious knee injury suffered in February to take a place among the reserves.
Dom Toluono and James Vaifale add MLR experience in the backline with Thomas Tu’avao featured on the flank. A pair of former NFL signings will get a run for the Selects – ex-Seahawks defensive end Logan Tago will start on the wing, with ex-Browns defensive back Aaron Wade on the bench.
Kickoff is set for 2pm local time, 11am Pacific, noon Mountain. A live broadcast will be available on the Rugby ATL Facebook page.
RUGBY ATL PATHWAY 404
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Alex Maughan (capt.), 3 Jonas Petrakopoulos, 4 Harry Higgins, 5 Jason Damm, 6 Daemon Torres, 7 Jalen Tatum, 8 Vili Helu, 9 Eamonn Matthews, 10 Kurt Coleman, 11 Marcos Young, 12 Martini Talapusi, 13 John Scotti, 14 Tito Bautista-Vargas, 15 Tommy Wallace
Replacements: 16 Carl Ratcliffe, 17 Lincoln Sii, 18 Sam Chaney, 19 Alex MacDonald, 20 Mike Matarazzo, 21 Maciu Koroi, 22 Sidney Shoop, 23 Ryan Britain
UTAH WARRIORS SELECTS
1 Samuel Ciancutti, 2 Michael Payne, 3 Zephir Lambert, 4 Kal Kistner, 5 James Mocke, 6 Thomas Tu’avao, 7 Mike Gieselman, 8 Charlie Hola, 9 Danny Christensen, 10 Tosh Wilcox, 11 Joseph Mano, 12 Dom Toluono, 13 Peter Makalio, 14 Logan Tago, 15 James Vaifale
Replacements: 16 Sesili Tauki’uvea, 17 Dawson Ruegger, 18 Elijah Hayes, 19 Lance Williams, 20 Tyler Goss, 21 Jacob Klingelsmith, 22 Aaron Wade, 23 Tomasi Tonga
Date: Saturday, October 31
Venue: Lupo Family Field, Marrietta
Kickoff: 14:00 local (11:00 Pacific, 12:00 Mountain)
Broadcasts: Facebook
