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Rugby New York will play their first home game of the season on Sunday afternoon against the New England Free Jacks. John F. Kennedy Stadium in Hoboken, New Jersey, will host its first Major League Rugby game. It’s the fourth venue New York has called home since joining the league in 2019.
Appropriately it’s traditional Boston-based rivals who are there for the occasion. In MLR competition the two sides have squared off three times previously, with the Free Jacks holding a 2-1 lead. Their last meeting was a fitting farewell to Union Point Stadium before New England moved operations to Quincy’s Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The Free Jacks return to the east coast after a narrow defeat to the Giltinis in Los Angeles. Though they did not get the result they wanted, Scott Mathie & Co. will have taken confidence from the performance knowing victory was within reach had they been more accurate at key moments of the game.
Two personnel changes are made up front with props Alex Johnston and Tevita Sole handed their first starts of the season. Foster DeWitt moves from loosehead to hooker with Pieter Jansen dropping to the bench. Mills Sanerivi provides extra back row cover among the six forward replacements.
John Poland is restored to the starting scrumhalf spot in place of Holden Yungert. In the midfield there is a first start for Wayne van der Bank, with Jack Reeves pushing out to the wing and Paula Balekana left out entirely. Harrison Boyle joins Yungert as the only back reserves.
New York are unbeaten in three matches with a one-sided result over the Dallas Jackals last weekend. Marty Veale has again opted to mix things up with seven changes to the run-on side.
Chance Wenglewski and Dylan Fawsitt come into the front row with Will Tucker switching from blindside flanker to lock. Benjamin Bonasso is fit to resume duty, taking the vacancy left by Tucker, while Joe Basser is given his first start at openside flanker. Brendon O’Connor slides from flanker to the back of the scrum.
Connor Buckley is again at scrumhalf with Andy Ellis continuing his role as an impact sub. Fa’asiu Fuatai tags in for Quinn Ngawati at outside center, and Samoan star Ed Fidow replaces Apenisa Cakaubalavu on the left wing. Local product Ishmail Shabazz is primed to make his professional debut as a midfield replacement.
Temperatures are expected to rise considerably by game time with light rain possible at the start according to forecasts. Gusty conditions could affect the kicking game and tilt tactics towards more set piece play. New York’s scrum is certainly cause for concern while New England’s back row have proved enormously disruptive to the opposition breakdown.
The lineout battle could be crucial and it with both teams featuring tall timber – Tucker for New York and Stan van den Hoven for the Free Jacks – it will be down to accuracy. DeWitt will be under pressure to hit his targets having played prop in the three games to date. Give the edge to the home side but expect a close contest in New Jersey.
Kickoff is set for 3pm local time, noon Pacific. A delayed broadcast will be aired on NBC Sports Boston with The Rugby Network streaming live worldwide.
RUGBY NEW YORK
1 Chance Wenglewski, 2 Dylan Fawsitt, 3 Kalolo Tuiloma, 4 Nate Brakeley (capt.), 5 Will Tucker, 6 Benjamín Bonasso, 7 Joe Basser, 8 Brendon O’Connor, 9 Connor Buckley, 10 Sam Windsor, 11 Ed Fidow, 12 Jason Emery, 13 Fa’asiu Fuatai, 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Jack Heighton
Replacements: 16 Wilton Rebolo, 17 Zak Taulafo, 18 Nic Mayhew, 19 Charlie Hewitt, 20 Pago Haini, 21 Andy Ellis, 22 Quinn Ngawati, 23 Ishmail Shabazz
NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Alex Johnston, 2 Foster DeWitt, 3 Tevita Sole, 4 Josh Larsen (capt.), 5 Stan van den Hoven, 6 Joe Johnston, 7 Slade McDowall, 8 Terrell Peita, 9 John Poland, 10 Beaudein Waaka, 11 Harry Barlow, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Wayne van der Bank, 14 Jack Reeves, 15 Mitch Wilson
Replacements: 16 Pieter Jansen, 17 Kyle Ciquera, 18 Erich de Jager, 19 Reegan O’Gorman, 20 Cam Davidowicz, 21 Holden Yungert, 22 Harrison Boyle, 23 Mills Sanerivi
Date: Sunday, March 6
Venue: John F. Kennedy Stadium, Hoboken
Kickoff: 15:00 local (12:00 Pacific)
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Lex Weiner (USA) & Will Nelson (USA)
TMO: Miles McIvor (USA)
Broadcasts: NBC Sports Boston (delayed), The Rugby Network
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2021-07-03 – New England Free Jacks 22, Rugby United New York 6 (Union Point Stadium)
2021-05-23 – Rugby United New York 29, New England Free Jacks 19 (Cochrane Stadium)
2020-02-09 – New England Free Jacks 34, Rugby United New York 14 (Sam Boyd Stadium)
