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The first week of the 2023 Major League Rugby campaign had plenty of storylines. Chicago gave a fair account of themselves in their first game, while Dallas also put in a respectable effort against Houston. San Diego set a new attendance record, and the Seawolves got some revenge in a rematch of the 2022 Championship Final.
1 – Jack Iscaro (Old Glory DC) A strong opening week for the new Eagles representative. Most notable was his work in defense with a few dominant tackles.
2 – Sama Malolo (San Diego Legion) Welcome back to MLR! Malolo’s brutal physicality was on full display for the Legion with several crunching hits and some powerful charges with ball in hand.
3 – John-Roy Jenkinson (Rugby ATL) With one exception ATL was completely dominant in the scrum while Jenkinson was on the pitch. In a game played in dreary conditions, his impact in the tight-loose was vital.
4 – Lucas Bur (Dallas Jackals) The Jackals were second-best but Bur lived up to expectations with a very lively shift around the park. Disrupted Houston’s throw-ins and was the primary ball-winner for Dallas.
5 – Ben Landry (Seattle Seawolves) Looks fit and motivated after ending last season on the sidelines. Punished any ball carrier in his vicinity and his line break led directly to the try for Duncan Matthews.
6 – Collin Grosse (Old Glory DC) Had the best possible start to his professional career with a try just seconds into the game. Offered plenty of graft to help DC retain possession.
7 – Danny Barrett (Houston SaberCats) Led from the front in the absence of Dean Muir. Hit typical self at the breakdown with a couple key turnovers.
8 – Cam Dolan (NOLA Gold) Overall the Gold were very disappointing, but Dolan dominated the lineout on both sides of the ball with four steals on New England throw-ins. Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz made hard yards for DC.
9 – John Poland (New England Free Jacks) With a new challenger gunning for his starting role, Poland was in top form against the Gold. Controlled the tempo and was rewarded with two tries, one in close support of a line break and another on the end of a chip ahead from Wayne van der Bank.
10 – Jordan Chait (Seattle Seawolves) Who to pick? Jayson Potroz was classy for New England, and Josh Henderson brilliant for San Diego. We can’t ignore the match-winning performance from Chait on debut. Now we know why he was brought in despite the presence of AJ Alatimu.
11 – Ed Fidow (New York Ironworkers) Gave the Seawolves fits every time he touched the ball. Only scored once, but came very close on two other occasions. Also contributed a try-saving tackle.
12 – Rewita Biddle (Rugby ATL) A very tidy addition to ATL’s backline. Caused real problems for the Arrows with his pace and distribution. Scored a cracking individual try from first phase.
13 – Dan Kriel (Seattle Seawolves) A blanket in defense and he made a key break that led to Seattle’s only try of the match. Wayne van der Bank also impressed for the Free Jacks.
14 – Eric Naposki (Dallas Jackals) A rare offensive threat for the Jackals. Came in off his wing looking for work and stepped past a few defenders when given the chance. JP Eloff faired well playing out of position for Chicago.
15 – Duncan Matthews (Seattle Seawolves) Nearly scored on an early attack, and got his rewards late in the game on the end of a perfectly-weighted grubber from Chait. Always in position to limit New York’s ability to find space with their own kicking game.
