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The second week of the new Major League Rugby season begins in Seattle, where the Seawolves play host to Rugby ATL. It’s been a long time between meetings for the two, with their only previous encounter also coming in the 2021 campaign.
Seattle fans packed Starfire Stadium last Saturday against New York and were rewarded with an impressive victory in a rematch of the 2022 Championship Final. They’ll be hoping for more of the same on Friday night against a team have already tasted success in Tukwila.
The only personnel change to the Seawolves lineup is injury-enforced. Ronan Foley is out, with Charles Elton moving over to the openside flank. Ben Landry switches to the blindside as former San Diego lock Ben Mitchell enters to make his regular season club debut.
ATL were also winners last weekend and though they weren’t quite at their best, there was little difficulty in sweeping aside Toronto to lift the Fire & Ice Cup. This week will not be so easy with the Seawolves displaying no signs of rust against the Ironworkers.
Vili Helu is absent from the lineup this week so Jordan Brown gets his first start at lock with Johan Momsen switching to the blindside flank. Argentina XV representative Nahuel Milán will make his first MLR appearance as a replacement, the big second row named alongside the returning Matt Heaton in a bench that shows a 6/2 split.
Their backline configuration according to the MLR App is curious, if accurate. Martini Talapusi drops to the bench and there is no place for Austin White. George Barton enters the midfield, Will Leonard is on the wing, and Jack Shaw at fullback. A more conventional selection would have Barton and Leonard at center with Biddle at fullback. Meanwhile Duncan van Schalkwyk takes over from Kurt Coleman at flyhalf, with Talapusi and Ryan Rees the only backs reserves.
Who wins could well be determined by who survives the weather. Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing at kickoff, which suggests that ball handling may be limited. Expect Seattle’s halfback duo of JP Smith and Jordan Chait to control field position, and it would take a brave soul to bet against the latter’s kicking off the tee after his performance last weekend.
Kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time, 10:30pm Eastern. A local broadcast will be available on Root Sports in Seattle with The Rugby Network streaming for viewers worldwide.
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Mzamo Majola, 2 Peter Malcolm, 3 Sam Matenga, 4 Ben Mitchell, 5 Rhyno Herbst, 6 Ben Landry, 7 Charles Elton, 8 Riekert Hattingh (capt.), 9 JP Smith, 10 Jordan Chait, 11 Martin Iosefo, 12 Tavite Lopeti, 13 Dan Kriel, 14 Conner Mooneyham, 15 Duncan Matthews
Replacements: 16 James Malcolm, 17 Jake Turnbull, 18 Mason Pedersen, 19 Taylor Krumrei, 20 Nakai Penny, 21 Karl Keane, 22 AJ Alatimu, 23 Lauina Futi
RUGBY ATL
1 Alex Maughan, 2 Tiaan Erasmus, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 4 Justin Basson, 5 Jordan Brown, 6 Johan Momsen (capt.), 7 Daemon Torres, 8 Jason Damm, 9 Rowan Gouws, 10 Duncan van Schalkwyk, 11 Harley Davidson, 12 Rewita Biddle, 13 George Barton, 14 Will Leonard, 15 Jack Shaw
Replacements: 16 Ben Strang, 17 Jonas Petrakopoulos, 18 Wikus Groenewald, 19 Nahuel Milán, 20 Matt Heaton, 21 Ross Deacon, 22 Ryan Rees, 23 Martini Talapusi
Date: Friday, February 23
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
Kickoff: 19:30 local (22:20 Eastern)
Referee: Luke Rogan (USA)
Assistants: Saro Turner (Canada) & Clint Lemkus (Canada)
TMO: Chris Assmus (Canada)
Broadcasts: Root Sports, The Rugby Network
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2021-05-23 – Seattle Seawolves 6, Rugby ATL 25 (Starfire Stadium)
