MLR 2022 Preview – Houston SaberCats

The team with the best home venue in Major League Rugby is now looking to raise their standards on the pitch. After four years of underwhelming performance it’s a total rebuild for the Houston SaberCats in 2022. It started with the high profile addition of Heyneke Meyer as Director of Rugby, and the former Springbok supremo has brought a large number of his countrymen from South Africa. Can the change in personnel spark new life in one of the league’s founding members?

Houston have yet to formally unveil their complete roster and there are still a couple vacancies that need to be filled – or at least publicly confirmed – but the bulk of the team is now out in the open and we will do our best with what we know. It would not have gone unnoticed that 10 players from the Rugby HTX academy squad were called up to fill in for preseason sessions with Dallas, presumably to cover for players either in Covid isolation or stuck waiting for visa approvals.

A detailed squad list can be seen here.

 

TEAM HISTORY

YEAR	SEASON	RANK	FINALS
2018	1-7	7 of 7	–
2019	6-10	7 of 9	–
2020	1-4	12 of 12	–
2021	2-14	12 of 12	–

Initially conceived as the Houston Strikers, the team formally changed their name prior to the start of the 2018 season. They were the earliest team out of the gate with overseas signings like Charlie Hewitt and Osea Kolinisau and hired former Ireland prop Justin Fitzpatrick as their first Head Coach. The team notably arranged an arduous preseason schedule – the 11 games played between January and April were longer than the 8-game regular season itself!

Disappointing results continued through 2019 until Fitzpatrick was let go with five games left in the regular season. Paul Emerick took over in an interim capacity, and the former Eagles back stayed on as an Assistant Coach when Paul Healy was hired as Director of Rugby just ahead of the 2020 season. Healy was himself a replacement for another coach and had little say in the squad, and saw the pandemic disrupt his preparations for 2021. After finishing in last place for the third time in four years, Houston management opted to push the reset button.

 

COACHING STAFF

Meyer is the face of the new rugby department and it appears will still be involved in some of the hands-on coaching. It’s Pote Human, however, who is the Head Coach. The 62-year-old has coached the Bulls in both Super Rugby and the Currie Cup and has typically run the rule over the forwards. The team has also brought in Vic Meyer – Heyneke’s son – as Technical Director. Meyer celebrates his 25th birthday in March but has been coaching since 2018 after retiring as a player due to injury.

 

FRONT ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Valdemar Lee-Lo Liam Murray Nicolás Solveyra Jeffery Steele	LH Prop	Frikkie de Beer Valdemar Lee-Lo Nicolás Solveyra
Mike Brown Patrick Donovan Tiaan Erasmus Diego Fortuny	Hooker	Patrick Donovan Diego Fortuny Dean Muir
CJ Burke Charlie Connolly Nik Hildebrand Nikoloz Khatiashvili	TH Prop	Pono Davis Aaron Mitchell Juan-Pablo Zeiss

There is some continuity in the front row with four returning players. Val Lee-Lo missed much of last season with injury and returns to join Argentina XV select Nicolás Solveyra as primary options at loosehead prop. Aaron Mitchell arrives from San Diego to contest the No3 shirt, with Frikkie de Beer and Pono Davis recently signed up to add depth.

Liam Murray has left for Dallas with fellow Canadian Nik Hildebrand currently playing in the BC Premier League. Jeffery Steele is gone to Austin while Charlie Connolly and Nika Khatiashvili have returned to Europe with Doncaster and Black Lion respectively.

Hooker looks to be an issue at the start of the campaign with Diego Fortuny suffering a lower leg injury that required surgical repair during the preseason. Dean Muir has joined up from San Diego, while Patrick Donovan remains part of the academy but likely to see action with the senior side once again. Tiaan Erasmus has left for ATL and Mike Brown has gone to Seattle.

Two other Argentines have been linked to the side. Pumas cap Juan-Pablo Zeiss is earmarked for the starting tighthead role pending visa clearance. Also in discussions was Axel Zapata, an enormous Argentina XV hooker who can also play prop, but it’s not clear if the move is still on the cards.

 

SECOND ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Lucas Albornoz Will Crawford Jérémy Lenaerts Kody O’Neil Van Stewart	Lock	Will Crawford Wynand Grassmann Siaosi Mahoni Keni Nasoqeqe

It’s all change in the second row. Lucas Albornoz returned to Canada to play in the Coastal Cup and remains unsigned, while Jérémy Lenaerts has gone to Dallas. Van Stewart has been playing club rugby in Austin and it’s not clear what the status of Kody O’Neil is.

Incoming are a pair of heavy hitters from San Diego in the form of Siaosi Mahoni and Keni Nasoqeqe. The latter played mostly in the back row last season but with so many options looks to be primarily a lock on this team. Wynand Grassmann is an experienced campaigner who has most recently been playing professionally in Russia. Will Crawford was called up from the academy squad late last season and has been training with the senior group in the preseason.

 

BACK ROW

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Luke Beauchamp Cecil Garber Apisai Tauyavuca Bronson Teles	Flanker	Emmanuel Albert Danny Barrett Jaco Bezuidenhout Gideon van Wyk
Adriaan Booysen Diego Magno	No8	Willie Britz Tinashe Muchena

None of last year’s loose forward group will return in 2022. Captain Luke Beauchamp has moved to Austin and Bronston Teles signed for Dallas. Apisai Tauyavuca, Adriaan Booysen, and Diego Magno have returned to Fiji, Namibia, and Uruguay respectively. We have no information on openside flanker Cecil Garber.

Three South Africans arrive in the form of Jaco Bezuidenhout, Gideon van Wyk, and Willie Britz. van Wyk is just 20 years old and was among the best schoolboy forwards in South Africa in recent years. Britz is at the other end of the spectrum, a long-time professional and potential captain given his Super Rugby experience. Bezuidenhout is an all-rounder who could be the openside option.

Danny Barrett is a name that needs no introduction in USA circles. He is joined by draft picks Emmanuel Albert and Tinashe Muchena, both from Lindenwood. All six options are powerful runners and it remains to be seen how they are configured.

 

HALFBACKS

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Nick Boyer Jinho Mun Zachary Short	Scrumhalf	Nick Boyer Zachary Short Dillon Smit
Kieran Farmer Robbie Povey Sam Windsor	Flyhalf	David Coetzer Kian Meadon Robbie Povey

Former skipper De Wet Roos has officially departed though injury kept him off the pitch for the entirety of the 2021 season. Dillon Smit is effectively his replacement, though it’s actually Jinho Mun whose spot he takes on the active roster. Mun has returned to New Zealand.

Kieran Farmer missed most of the season with injury and has since returned to the pitch in local club rugby but as of yet hasn’t been named in the senior squad. Sam Windsor left for New York, so it’s South African pair David Coetzer and Kian Meadon who arrive. Both are national u20 selects with Coetzer the likely starter. Canadian international Robbie Povey is a strong domestic option at either flyhalf or fullback.

 

MIDFIELD

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Gabe Farley Taylor Howden Max Tacket Joe Thomas	Center	Christian Dyer Jordan Jackson Matai Leuta Louritz van der Schyff

Taylor Howden has hung up the boots as a professional to join NOLA’s coaching staff. The other three of last year’s midfield options are unaccounted for. Windsor also spent time in the No12 shirt last year with Veramu Dikidikilati sometimes playing at No13.

Pencil in Louritz van der Schyff for the No12 shirt. He is a physical north-south runner who models his game after former Springbok skipper Jean de Villiers. The other spot could go to either Christian Dyer or Matai Leuta, both of whom have played for the Eagles in 7s and XVs. Jordan Jackson is new to MLR, a former football player who can also play wing.

 

OUTSIDE BACKS

MLR 2021	POS	MLR 2022
Paula Balekana Veramu Dikidikilati Zack Godfrey Jake Hidalgo	Wing	Jake Hidalgo Gerrie Labuschagne Marcell Muller Maka Unufe
Matías Freyre Zach Pangelinan	Fullback	Marcos Moroni Zach Pangelinan

Dikidikilati is in Fiji on the outskirts of the Drua squad, while Paula Balekana has joined New England. Jake Hidalgo remains in the HTX academy and is currently training with the senior squad. It’s unclear where USA u20 select Zack Godfrey is at the moment.

Incoming on the wing are a pair of South Africans in Gerrie Labuschagne and Marcell Muller. Labuschagne is a tall, rangy runner and a long-range goal kicker. Muller is a track athlete and schoolboy star who combines power and pace. Maka Unufe missed out on the Olympics and is now nearing a return from an Achilles injury. He has been a sevens specialist and now has eyes on Rugby World Cup 2023.

Zach Pangelinan is the only man in the squad who has been with the team since the inaugural season. He continues to be a valuable utility option. Matias Freyre has left for San Diego, but another Argentine has been sounded out with Pumas Sevens standout Marcos Moroni set to join pending visa clearance.

 

2022 OUTLOOK

When you’re stuck at the bottom, the only way to go is up. On paper this is easily the strongest roster Houston have put together, though there is perhaps a question of how they will manage their imports given they have more signed than they are allowed to field in any given match day 23.

There should be no secrets as to what style they will employ. Meyer and Human have gone for bruising ball carriers across the pitch and they will test the resolve of opposition defense. Expect tactical kicking for field position and mauls… lots of mauls.

When all the pieces are in place and this new group has had a chance to mesh, they will be an intimidating force – one that could make its greatest impact in the second half of the season. The first few weeks, however, could be a challenge as the team forms its new identity. A mid-table finish seems possible but a playoff spot looks unlikely in a very competitive Western Conference.