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Major League Rugby will crown its second-ever champion on Sunday afternoon. Appropriately it’s the top two teams from the regular season who square off at the Memorial Coliseum, where the Western Conference-winning LA Giltinis play host to Eastern Conference representatives Rugby ATL.
This will be the third time the MLR Shield has been contested, with last season the exception due to the pandemic. The Seattle Seawolves were repeat champions in 2018 and 2019, defeating the Glendale Raptors and San Diego Legion respectively in highly entertaining finales that were both played at Torero Stadium in San Diego.
For each team this will be their first final, with ATL joining the league in 2020 and LA an expansion side this season. In their one previous meeting the Ratlers were victorious, taking a 17-12 result in an absorbing contest at Lupo Family Field.
The Giltinis left it late but came up with the goods against Utah at the Coliseum in last Sunday’s Western Conference Final. After a ferocious run of six one-sided wins to start the season they have come down to earth in recent weeks with six wins and four defeats to end the regular season.
There are three regular LA starters missing for the Final. Scottish pair Adam Ashe and Glenn Bryce continue their absence and are joined on the injury list this week by loosehead prop JP Smith. The good news is the return of Angus Cottrell from suspension to take up his place on the blindside flank.
Charlie Abel fills in at the No1 shirt, his first start at loosehead having played exclusively as a tighthead during the regular season. He will be expected to play all 80 minutes with no tighthead cover on the bench. Nathan Den Hoedt moves back to lock with Luke White acting as both second row and emergency loosehead cover from the bench.
It was a similarly tight Eastern Conference Final last Saturday with ATL finishing just a single point ahead of visitors Rugby United New York. They suffered just once injury during the match, winger Te Rangatira Waitokia, and also continue to be without first choice eightman Jason Damm.
Five personnel changes have been made to the starting lineup. Last week’s try-scorer Alex Maughan is rewarded with a start at loosehead and Conor Keys comes into the second row. Vili Helu runs out on the blindside flank and Johan Momsen is a surprise choice at No8, having only featured there in the second half of ATL’s Week 4 game against Old Glory during the regular season.
Dropping to the reserves are Chance Wenglewski, Connor Cook, and Ross Deacon. There is also a change at backup tighthead with Will Burke selected ahead of Manasa Saulo. It’s a decision that allows for the return of in-form Mark O’Keeffe to the match day 23 with both players considered imports. Adriaan Carelse is the odd man out in the backs.
Significant changes in the backline sees Kurt Coleman getting the start at flyhalf with Bautista Ezcurra pushing to inside center. Robbie Petzer is among the replacements. With Waitokia out it’s Rory van Vugt who starts on the left wing, his first action since being injured in the June 19 game against Houston.
The selections of Keys and Helu, with Momsen in the back row, suggests that the Ratlers will be targeting LA in the set piece. Utah found success there last weekend and that has not gone unnoticed by Ratlers coach Scott Lawrence. Coleman and van Vugt also strengthen ATL’s tactical kicking game.
On the other side Cottrell’s return is a significant boost for the Giltinis. His presence both as a disruptor in the contact area and a support player on attack will make them a better team in the loose. It’s there that the home side can find an advantage with Harrison Goddard’s speed a threat on the fringes.
Weather conditions are expected to be ideal which sets the stage for a compelling matchup. Can ATL’s rush defense limit LA’s attacking opportunities? Will the Giltinis be able to make adjustments at the set piece to secure first phase possession? Give the favorites tag to LA based entirely on home field advantage, but this is very much anyone’s game.
Kickoff is set for 1pm local time, 4pm Eastern. CBS will broadcast the game nationwide with The Rugby Network streaming to viewers located abroad.
LA GILTINIS
1 Charlie Abel, 2 Mahe Vailanu, 3 Marco Fepulea’i, 4 Dave Dennis (capt.), 5 Nathan Den Hoedt, 6 Angus Cottrell, 7 Christian Poidevin, 8 Corey Thomas, 9 Harrison Goddard, 10 Matt Giteau, 11 DTH van der Merwe, 12 Bill Meakes, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 John Ryberg, 15 Luke Burton
Replacements: 16 Sean McNulty, 17 Blake Rogers, 18 Luke White, 19 Sean O’Brien, 20 Pago Haini, 21 Serupepeli Vularika, 22 Luke Carty, 23 Ryan James
RUGBY ATL
1 Alex Maughan, 2 Marko Janse van Rensburg, 3 Wikus Groenewald, 4 Marno Redelinghuys, 5 Conor Keys, 6 Vili Helu, 7 Matt Heaton (co-capt.), 8 Johan Momsen, 9 Rowan Gouws, 10 Kurt Coleman, 11 Rory van Vugt, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 13 Ryan Nell (co-capt.), 14 Jeremy Misailegalu, 15 Austin White
Replacements: 16 Neethling Gericke, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Will Burke, 19 Connor Cook, 20 Ross Deacon, 21 Ryan Rees, 22 Robbie Petzer, 23 Mark O’Keeffe
Date: Sunday, August 1
Venue: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
Kickoff: 13:00 local (16:00 Eastern)
Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Assistants: Scott Green (USA) & Kahlil Harrison (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)
Broadcasts: CBS, The Rugby Network
Historical Results
2021-05-29 – Rugby ATL 17, LA Giltinis 12 (Lupo Family Field)
