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Rugby ATL plays host to the Toronto Arrows in more ways than one on Saturday. Border restrictions have seen the league’s only Canadian team pack their bags for Marietta, where they will camp out until the pandemic subsides or the season ends, whichever comes first. It’s a daunting task but one the Arrows insist they are up for.
The two sides have met once before at the same venue. On that day, a little over a year ago, the Arrows fell behind early but recovered to win their fourth consecutive game. They would finish in top spot in the East Conference and enter this campaign as one of the favorites reach the postseason.
ATL have adopted the rattlesnake as their unofficial mascot and have dubbed Lupo Family Field ‘The Snake Pit’. Their new jerseys feature a scaled pattern and their is certainly more bite to their backline this season. Not all are set to strike on Day One.
Five-times capped Argentine international Bautista Ezcurra is a prized addition as is former Raptors center Robbie Petzer, the man who holds the league record for points scored in a match. Outside back Te Rangatira Waitokia arrives from New Zealand and scrumhalf Rowan Gouws joins an established group of South Africans in Georgia.
Petzer has surprisingly been left on the bench, however, and there is no sign of Waitokia for the season opener with Rory van Vugt instead making his return to the squad on the left wing. Another unexpected select sees Duncan van Schalkwyk as the preferred stand-in at flyhalf as Robbie Coleman misses out with injury suffered during the preseason.
Duane Aholelei is a notable absentee and Alex Maughan shifts to tighthead prop as a result with Neethling Gericke getting his first start at hooker. 33-year-old loosehead prop Luke Schlotman is set to make his pro debut as a replacement. Jason Damm gets the first crack at the competitive No8 position.
The Arrows have added Pumas of their own to the arsenal. Gastón Cortes is a fearsome tighthead prop well known to Bristol fans, while Manuel Montero and Joaquín Tuculet are the bludgeon and the rapier out wide. A fourth countryman, Tomás de la Vega, was one of MLR’s best flankers in his first year with the team last season.
Montero and Tuculet, however, have been rested for the game and with Gastón Mieres still returning to fitness from a broken leg suffered while on test duty with Uruguay, it’s Mitch Richardson who is pressed into action on the wing. Jack McRogers makes his run-on debut as incumbent starter Andrew Quattrin is held back on the bench.
Cortes steps straight into the front row as Cole Keith lines up at loosehead for the first time at pro level. Adrian Wadden’s first Arrows cap means that Mike Sheppard settles for a spot on the bench where reserve scrumhalf Jason Higgins is also poised to debut for Toronto.
Toronto will need to become acquainted with their new surrounding quickly but will at least be comfortable in the same time zone. They have been limited to indoor training during the preseason, while ATL managed to get one preseason match in against Utah.
On paper the strength of Toronto’s pack stands out. ATL have home field advantage but the Arrows have experienced victory in Marietta before. The shortcoming in rugby fitness does, however, count against the Canadians. Give the nod to the visitors but not by much.
Kickoff is set for 7pm local time, 4pm Pacific. Live broadcasts will be available on 11 Alive in Atlanta, TSN 2 in Canada, and The Rugby Network worldwide.
RUGBY ATL
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Neethling Gericke, 3 Alex Maughan, 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Johan Momsen, 6 Connor Cook, 7 Matt Heaton (capt.), 8 Jason Damm, 9 Rowan Gouws, 10 Duncan van Schalkwyk, 11 Rory van Vugt, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Jeremy Misailegalu, 14 Harley Davidson, 15 Martini Talapusi
Replacements: 16 Jonas Petrakopoulos, 17 Will Burke, 18 Luke Schlotman, 19 Vili Helu, 20 Ross Deacon, 21 Robbie Petzer, 22 Zander van Schalkwyk, 23 Austin White
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Cole Keith, 2 Jack McRogers, 3 Gastón Cortes, 4 Adrian Wadden, 5 Paul Ciulini, 6 Tomás de la Vega, 7 Lucas Rumball (co-capt.), 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Andrew Ferguson, 10 Tayler Adams, 11 Mitch Richardson, 12 Guiseppe du Toit, 13 Ben LeSage (co-capt.), 14 Leandro Leivas, 15 Pat Parfrey
Replacements: 16 Andrew Quattrin, 17 Pat Lynott, 18 Tyler Rowland, 19 Mike Sheppard, 20 Marcello Wainwright, 21 Jason Higgins, 22 Will Kelly, 23 Gastón Mieres
Date: Saturday, March 20
Kickoff: 19:00 local (16:00 Pacific)
Venue: Lupo Family Field, Marietta
Broadcasts: 11 Alive, The Rugby Network, TSN 2
Historical Results:
2020-03-01 – Rugby ATL 18, Toronto Arrows 28 (Lupo Family Field)
