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Last place finishers in 2020 and perennial underachievers, the Houston SaberCats have something to prove in 2021. Inhabitants of the spectacular AVEVA Stadium, their facilities are top notch but on the field they have yet to deliver consistently. Will it be a roar or a whimper from the Cats this season?
2020 RECORD: 1-4 (6th West, 12th overall)
HEAD COACH: Entering his second season as Head Coach is Paul Healy. The Australian will feel more settled this season but is also counting the cost of the pandemic more than others. He has a familiar staff with ex-internationals Paul Emerick and Campbell Johnstone focused on the technical side.
CAPTAIN: The on-field leadership is headed up by livewire scrumhalf De Wet Roos, who also led the side in 2020. This season Luke Beauchamp has been named as co-captain but with rotation expected in the back row, it will be Roos more often calling the shots. Both are seasoned competitors who have never failed to deliver for the Cats.
STAR PLAYER: Back for a fourth season and still the focus of the attack is flyhalf Sam Windsor. MLR’s all-time leading scorer is a threat not just off the kicking tee but also with ball in hand. Houston will need him to be on target if they are to climb out of the lower end of the table.
KEY DEPARTURE: Initially expected to return, Kyle Breytenbach was one of the team’s most valuable operators in 2020. His work rate in the loose was exceptional while the Houston scrum was rock solid. Breytenbach opted out of the 2021 campaign along with former Seattle lock Jérémy Lenaerts.
SMART SIGNING: After Breytenbach and Lenaerts opted out the cupboard was looking bare in the engine room. Enter Kody O’Neil. Left without a team following the withdrawals of Colorado and Dallas, he was snapped up in the supplementary draft. Not the biggest lock around but does the fundamentals well.
ONE TO WATCH: After watching the warm-up games the name that stood out was Veramu Dikidikilati. One of two Fijian outside backs to arrive this season, the 23-year-old lined up at outside center and stopped dead every opponent brave enough to run in his direction. Houston needed a bit of x-factor in the backline and this fellow looks the business.
STRENGTHS: It all starts up front and the SaberCats scrum is as tough as any. This season they have added Georgian international Nikoloz Khatiashvili to an already formidable front row corps. There is greater continuity in the roster than a year ago and their two preseason hit-outs should hold them in good stead when the season starts on Saturday.
CONCERNS: Gaps remain in the roster up front. A third hooker, a fourth lock, and another ball carrier in the back row would be most welcome. With luck there will be some late arrivals. Otherwise it’s all about consistency and discipline, both problems for the team last season.
OUTLOOK: It’s hard to say where Houston will be come July. A favorable opening month with virtually zero travel will help get them on the front foot, and on paper the SaberCats can field a competitive match day 23. Without additional recruits, however, it could be a bumpy ride later in the campaign. Expect better results than 2020 but they’re not a playoff side yet.
