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The defending champions open their season on the road on Saturday as the LA Giltinis make their way to Houston’s AVEVA Stadium. Both of their meetings in 2021 tipped in LA’s favor, but a very different SaberCats team prowls in the locker room with only five players in the match day squad returning from last season.
Former San Diego hooker Dean Muir captains the new-look Cats with a heavy South African flavor thanks to new Director of Rugby Heyneke Meyer. Siaosi Mahoni and Keni Nasoqeqe also switch from the Legion, and there are MLR debuts for Wynand Grassmann, Willie Britz, and Jaco Bezuidenhout. Juan Pablo Zeiss has arrived from Argentina to join countryman Nicolás Solveyra in the front row, though hooker Diego Fortuny misses out with a long-term leg injury.
Nick Boyer is the only returning back among the starters but last season’s scrumhalf will instead lineup on the wing. Dillon Smit and David Coetzer are the new halfbacks and are joined by fellow South Africans Gerrie Labuschagne and Kian Meadon in the backline. Paired in the midfield are Matai Leuta and new vice-captain Christian Dyer, each having represented the USA in both 7s and XVs.
New arrivals on the bench include props Frikkie de Beer and Aaron Mitchell, the former playing against his former team and the latter joining from San Diego. Eagles Sevens star Danny Barrett will debut as a replacement along with surprise addition Malon Al-Jiboori, the World Cup select who returns to the USA after a stint with Ealing Trailfinders in England.
The champs roll out a familiar lineup but four key additions make their club debuts in the run-on side. Canadian pair Djustice Sears-Duru and Ben LeSage start at loosehead prop and outside center respectively, with Eagles back row Hanco Germishuys named at No8. New Zealander Jordan Trainor is the new fullback with Luke Burton shifting to flyhalf in the absence of injured pair Matt Giteau and Luke Carty. Giteau is ruled out with a calf strain but Carty will miss four months with a torn pectoral muscle.
Andrew Tuala and Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin are among the front row reserves, both having featured previously in Super Rugby. Other new names are US-eligible scrumhalf Tas Smith and rugby league convert Will Chambers, both arriving from Australia. Usual scrumhalf Cristian Rodriguez has been asked to cover the outside backs.
SaberCats fans would be justified in having greater expections from a roster that has received significant reinforcements in the off-season. To ask an entirely new side to gel after just a few training sessions, however, is a tall task. This should be an entertaining fixture but the Giltinis are the defending champions for a reason and are considered strong favorites despite playing on the road.
Kickoff is set for 7pm local time, 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern. A local broadcast will be available on AT&T Sportsnet SouthWest, with The Rugby Network streaming worldwide.
HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Nicolás Solveyra, 2 Dean Muir (capt.), 3 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 4 Wynand Grassmann, 5 Siaosi Mahoni, 6 Keni Nasoqeqe, 7 Willie Britz, 8 Jaco Bezuidenhout, 9 Dillon Smit, 10 David Coetzer, 11 Nick Boyer, 12 Matai Leuta, 13 Christian Dyer, 14 Gerrie Labuschagne, 15 Kian Meadon
Replacements: 16 Patrick Donovan, 17 Frikkie de Beer, 18 Aaron Mitchell, 19 Will Crawford, 20 Malon Al-Jiboori, 21 Robbie Povey, 22 Danny Barrett, 23 Jax Hidalgo
LA GILTINIS
1 Djustice Sears-Duru, 2 Sean McNulty, 3 Robbie Abel, 4 Dave Dennis (capt.), 5 Nathan Den Hoedt, 6 Angus Cottrell, 7 Christian Poidevin, 8 Hanco Germishuys, 9 Harrison Goddard, 10 Luke Burton, 11 Ryan James, 12 Billy Meakes, 13 Ben LeSage, 14 John Ryberg, 15 Jordan Trainor
Replacements: 16 Andrew Tuala, 17 Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin, 18 Marco Fepulea’i, 19 Luke White, 20 Corey Thomas, 21 Tas Smith, 22 Will Chambers, 23 Cristian Rodriguez
Date: Saturday, February 5
Venue: AVEVA Stadium, Houston
Kickoff: 19:00 local (17:00 Pacific, 20:00 Eastern)
Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina)
Broadcasts: AT&T Sportsnet SouthWest, The Rugby Network
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2021-06-13 – LA Giltinis 52, Houston SaberCats 5 (Memorial Coliseum)
2021-04-17 – Houston SaberCats 33, LA Giltinis 48 (AVEVA Stadium)
