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The Arrows will have another crack at playing spoilers when they host Old Glory at York Lions Stadium in a rare Thursday night Major League Rugby contest. They are also looking for a bit of payback after DC were convincing winners when the two sides met in March.
Toronto put a halt to their losing streak against ATL on Friday night but still haven’t won a game since March 11. They’ll be missing three more bodies due to injury this week and have opted to limit captain Lucas Rumball’s minutes by putting him on the bench.
Ross Braude stands in as skipper for the first time as he returns to the No9 shirt. Noel Reid and Avery Oitomen are scratches this week so it’s Tautalatasi Tasi starting in the midfield and Ciaran Breen returning from injury on the wing. New arrival Liam Bowman is set to make his MLR debut as a replacement.
Owain Ruttan starts on the blindside flank in Rumball place, the only change to the run-on pack. Isaac Salmon is ruled out and Mike Sheppard rested, so it’s Conan O’Donnell in as reserve tighthead prop and Hank Stevenson providing cover at lock.
For DC the task is simple – win or risk falling behind in the playoff race. They are just three points ahead of 4th-place ATL at the moment and the Arrows are the lowest-ranked of their remaining opponents. It’s a very short turnaround having lost to the Free Jacks on Sunday, but Josh Syms has opted for just two changes to his starting lineup.
Collin Grosse is back in at lock with Tevita Naqali missing out. That opens an import slot for Ramiro Herrera to fill, though the giant Argentine prop settles for a spot on the bench. The only other change is a straight swap at fullback where Owen Sheehy starts in place of Tito Díaz Bonilla.
Calm conditions and mild temperatures are expected at kickoff. That’s good news for DC, who will try to pour on the points with their high-tempo attack before tired legs start to set in.
The Arrows will try to weather the storm though there are four internationals on Old Glory’s bench including two ex-Pumas. DC have more to play for and should be considered favorites, but if Toronto can keep it close heading into the final quarter it’s anyone’s game.
Kickoff is set for 7pm local time, 4pm Pacific. Canadian viewers can watch on TSN 2 with Fox Sports 2 broadcasting in the USA. Those located elsewhere can watch on The Rugby Network.
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Lolani Faleiva, 2 Tyler Wong, 3 Tyler Rowland, 4 Mason Flesch, 5 Adrian Wadden, 6 Owain Ruttan, 7 James O’Neill, 8 Travis Larsen, 9 Ross Braude (capt.), 10 Peter Nelson, 11 D’Shawn Bowen, 12 Mitch Richardson, 13 Tautalatasi Tasi, 14 Ciaran Breen, 15 Shane O’Leary
Replacements: 16 Ramón Ayarza, 17 Connor Grindal, 18 Conan O’Donnell, 19 Hank Stevenson, 20 Lucas Rumball, 21 Will Grant, 22 Liam Bowman, 23 Kobe Faust
OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro, 2 Nic Souchon, 3 Kyle Stewart, 4 Collin Grosse, 5 Kyle Baillie, 6 Lautaro Bavaro, 7 Niko Jones, 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (capt.), 9 Danny Tusitala, 10 Gradyn Bowd, 11 Junior Sa’u, 12 Thretton Palamo, 13 William Talataina, 14 Peni Lasaqa, 15 Owen Sheehy,
Replacements: 16 Facundo Gattas, 17 Quentin Newcomer, 18 Ramiro Herrera, 19 Alejo Daireaux, 20 Langilangi Haupeakui, 21 John LeFevre, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla 23 Marcos Young
Date: Thursday, May 18
Venue: York Lions Stadium, Toronto
Kickoff: 19:00 local (16:00 Pacific)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 2, The Rugby Network, TSN 2
Referee: Mike Lash (New Zealand)
Assistants: Peter Pender (Canada) & Clint Lemkus (Canada)
TMO: Greg Gilliam (USA)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2023-03-19 – Old Glory DC 29, Toronto Arrows 3 (Segra Field)
2022-06-05 – Toronto Arrows 35, Old Glory DC 50 (York Lions Stadium)
2022-04-09 – Toronto Arrows 32, Old Glory DC 27 (York Lions Stadium)
2022-02-26 – Old Glory DC 5, Toronto Arrows 29 (Segra Field)
2021-07-04 – Toronto Arrows 34, Old Glory DC 28 (Lupo Family Field)
2021-04-03 – Old Glory DC 19, Toronto Arrows 40 (Segra Field)
