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Two teams desperate to keep pace in in the playoff race will collide at Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday night. The Utah Warriors are trying to stay one step ahead of Houston in the razor-thin Western Conference, while Rugby ATL need five points just to get their foot in the door in the East.
Stephen Brett will not have been satisfied with his team’s performance over the past three weeks. Facing the three lowest-ranked teams in MLR, they managed only 7 competition points out of a maximum 15. The results leave ATL a bonus-point win behind third-place New York and with precious little time to make up the difference.
It’s a new halfback combination as Ryan Rees partners Christopher Hilsenbeck, the latter making his Major League Rugby debut after spending the past decade playing professionally in France. Martini Talapusi is a straight swap for Seth Purdey at inside center.
Up front there are three personnel changes. Will Burke comes in at loosehead prop, with Alex Maughan the reserve hooker this week. Johan Momsen finds himself on the bench for the first time this season as Nahuel Milán forms a beefy second row partnership with Justin Basson. Connor Cook wears the No6 shirt, his first start since calling off retirement, with Vili Helu at the back of the scrum.
Utah got the win they wanted over the SaberCats last Saturday and the two sides are now even on points, with the Warriors just ahead on a tie-break by virtue of having one extra victory. Despite ATL’s struggles, Greg Cooper has shown respect to his opponent with a strong Warriors lineup.
Bailey Wilson and Thomas Tu’avao return to the back row after missing out on the Houston game with a stomach bug. Onehunga Havili moves up to lock with Saia Uhila and Jurie van Vuuren both among the reserves. Emerson Prior rotates in for Olive Kilifi at loosehead prop. The only backline change is at scrumhalf where Connor McLeod makes way for Zion Going.
Conditions at game time are expect to be ideal for running rugby, which plays into Utah’s hands. Their main concern with ATL will be the scrum, which looks even more menacing with Burke and Milán added. On form the home side are clear favorites, but the visitors shouldn’t be written off with their backs firmly up against the wall.
Kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time, 6:30pm Pacific, 9:30pm Eastern. Local broadcasts will be available on KMYU and KSL Sports online in Utah, with The Rugby Network streaming worldwide.
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Emerson Prior, 2 Henry Bell, 3 Angus MacLellan, 4 Jamie Lane, 5 Onehunga Havili, 6 Bailey Wilson (capt.), 7 Lance Williams, 8 Thomas Tu’avao, 9 Zion Going, 10 Joel Hodgson, 11 Joe Mano, 12 Calvin Whiting, 13 Tyler Fisher, 14 Mika Kruse, 15 Caleb Makene
Replacements: 16 Tuvere Vugakoto, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Paul Mullen, 19 Saia Uhila, 20 Jurie van Vuuren, 21 Connor McLeod, 22 Tomasi Tonga, 23 Logan Tago
RUGBY ATL
1 Will Burke, 2 Sidney Tobias, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 4 Justin Basson, 5 Nahuel Milán, 6 Connor Cook, 7 Matt Heaton (capt.), 8 Vili Helu, 9 Ryan Rees, 10 Christopher Hilsenbeck, 11 Jack Shaw, 12 Martini Talapusi, 13 Will Leonard, 14 Te Rangatira Waitokia, 15 Rewita Biddle
Replacements: 16 Alex Maughan, 17 Lincoln Si’i, 18 Wikus Groenewald, 19 Johan Momsen, 20 Daemon Torres, 21 Ross Deacon, 22 Niall Saunders, 23 Austin White
Date: Saturday, May 27
Venue: Zions Bank Stadium, Herriman
Kickoff: 19:30 local (18:30 Pacific, 21:30 Eastern)
Broadcasts: KMYU, KSL Sports, The Rugby Network
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Marquise Goodwin (USA) & Justin Canova (USA)
TMO: Nick Hannon (USA)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2022-05-07 – Utah Warriors 44, Rugby ATL 26 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2021-07-10 – Utah Warriors 31, Rugby ATL 41 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2020-02-09 – Rugby ATL 28, Utah Warriors 19 (Lupo Family Field)
