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New England fans will get a sneak peak of the future on Sunday as the Free Jacks play their first game at their new home of Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy. Rugby ATL are their esteemed guests. Having already clinched top spot in the Eastern Conference there is little at stake for the Ratlers, though they can secure home field advantage for the Final should they eventually collide with the Warriors.
It was ATL who proved superior at The Snake Pit in May. Since then it’s been largely smooth sailing for Scott Lawrence’s charges with a single defeat to New York sandwiched between six victories. They will use Sunday’s game to blood two new players and get valuable game time for others returning from injury.
Co-captain Matt Heaton is given a chance to prove his fitness ahead of next week’s Conference Final. Conor Keys returns from international duty to partner debutante Mike Matarazzo at lock. Chance Wenglewski is ready to go at loosehead prop with backup Lincoln Sii also looking to make his first Major League Rugby appearance.
Ryan Rees is back from his trip with the Eagles to partner Kurt Coleman in the halfbacks, the latter making his first start of the season. Adriaan Carelse comes in at fullback and Mark O’Keeffe returns in the midfield with Ryan Nell moving in one spot to inside center.
Meanwhile it’s a send-off party for Free Jacks coach Ryan Martin and Gloucester-bound Wian Conradie. The team bid farewell to Union Point Stadium in style two weeks ago and continued their strong form against the Arrows in Marietta last weekend.
Pieter Jansen and Erich de Jager come back into the front row in place of Stephan Coetzee and Quentin Newcomer. Tera Mtembu returns to the back row after deputising as a lock against Toronto, with Conor Kindregan summoned to partner Jackson Thiebes in the engine room.
Harrison Boyle’s injury sees a backline reshuffle. Poasa Waqanibau moves in one spot to inside center with Dougie Fife moving up to outside center. Mitch Wilson drops back to fullback and Harry Barlow fills the vacancy on the wing. On the bench Sean Yacoubian makes just his third appearance of the season and first since early May.
A humid evening is on the forecast with rain and a risk of a thunderstorm. Those conditions could benefit the Ratlers with Coleman’s kicking game complimented by their suffocating defense. That said the Free Jacks faced worse against New York and came through with flying colors. Give the favorites tag to ATL but this should be a close and entertaining contest.
Kickoff is set for 7pm local time, 4pm Pacific. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast nationwide with The Rugby Network streaming to viewers abroad.
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Sef Fa’agase, 2 Pieter Jansen, 3 Erich de Jager, 4 Jackson Thiebes, 5 Conor Kindregan, 6 Tera Mtembu, 7 Joe Johnston (capt.), 8 Wian Conradie, 9 John Poland, 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Tuidraki Samusamuvodre, 12 Poasa Waqanibau, 13 Dougie Fife, 14 Harry Barlow, 15 Mitch Wilson
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Quentin Newcomer, 18 Kyle Ciquera, 19 Justin Johnson, 20 Vili Toluta’u, 21 Tom Brusati, 22 Sean Yacoubian, 23 Josateki Degei
RUGBY ATL
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Alex Maughan, 3 Wikus Groenewald, 4 Mike Matarazzo, 5 Conor Keys, 6 Connor Cook, 7 Matt Heaton (co-capt.), 8 Ross Deacon, 9 Ryan Rees, 10 Kurt Coleman, 11 Te Rangatira Waitokia, 12 Ryan Nell (co-capt.), 13 Mark O’Keeffe, 14 Jeremy Misailegalu, 15 Adriaan Carelse
Replacements: 16 Neethling Gericke, 17 Lincoln Sii, 18 Manasa Saulo, 19 Marno Redelinghuys, 20 Vili Helu, 21 Eamonn Matthews, 22 Duncan van Schalkwyk, 23 Austin White
Date: Sunday, July 18
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium, Quincy
Kickoff: 19:00 local (16:00 Pacific)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 1, The Rugby Network
Historical Results
2021-05-15 – Rugby ATL 33, New England Free Jacks 18 (Lupo Family Field)
