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The only remaining unbeaten teams of the new Major League Rugby season will collide at Starfire Stadium on Friday night. Seattle have return home after a fairly casual win over Utah though it did cost them captain Riekert Hattingh for at least this week with a head knock. Houston similarly looked in complete control in their home win over Miami, but lost starting No3 Maks van Dyk to a leg injury.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
3-0-0 (W3) West 2nd
3-0-0 (W3) West 1st
| LINEUP CHANGES |
6 Reid Davis replaces Riekert Hattingh (HIA, No8 vs Utah)
14 Lauina Futi replaces Toni Pulu
19 Taylor Krumrei replaces Reid Davis
3 Rob Cobb replaces Maks van Dyk (injury)
4 Justin Basson replaces Nathan Den Hoedt
6 Marno Redelinghuys replaces Gideon van Wyk (No8 vs Miami)
7 Emmanuel Albert replaces Keni Nasoqeqe
12 Dom Akina replaces Sam Hill
13 Tautalatasi Tasi replaces Louritz van der Schyff
15 Davy Coetzer replaces Line Latu
16 Tiaan Erasmus replaces Seth Smith
17 LaRome White replaces Frikkie de Beer
19 Keni Nasoqeqe replaces Emmanuel Albert
23 Line Latu replaces Dom Akina
| CLUB DEBUTS |
(0) – n/a
(1) – LaRome White
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(6) – Taufete’e, Futi, Wenglewski, Kilifi, Rees (USA), Rossouw (Namibia)
(3) – Lindenmuth, Alatimu (Samoa), Dyer (USA)
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Peter Malcolm (HO), Mahonri Ngakuru (LO), Huw Taylor (LO/FL), Riekert Hattingh (N8), Tevita Kuridrani (CE), Tavite Lopeti (CE)
– Maks van Dyk (TH), Drew Wild (FB)
| NOTES |
- the Seawolves will be without their captain Riekert Hattingh after he came off for an HIA just a minute into the game against Utah and did not return… Charles Elton takes over the leadership role… he acted as co-captain with Ben Landry with Hattingh was injured last season
- Reid Davis steps in to make his first professional start on the blindside flank with Pago Haini shifting to No8… Davis is a former Canada u20 representative who signed for Seattle shortly before the season from the Pacific Pride, Canada’s centralized development side
- Sam Windsor is set to play against the team he spent four seasons with… he is the all-time leading scorer for both Houston and Major League Rugby… DaQuan Perry was selected by the SaberCats in the dispersal draft but ended up being traded to Seattle before ever playing for Houston… Windsor and Perry were teammates in New York last season
- with Maks van Dyk out injured, Houston will ask Rob Cobb to start at tighthead prop… it’s the first time Cobb has ever worn the No3 shirt since his pro career began in 2019
- Emmanuel Albert gets his first start of the season on the flank and only the fourth in his MLR career… he was the 2nd overall selection in the 2021 Collegiate Draft
- Davy Coetzer will play fullback for the first time in Houston colours… allowing AJ Alatimu to line up against the team he played three seasons with… both Alatimu and Coetzer prefer the No10 shirt and have been among MLR’s best in that position over the past couple years
- LaRome White is set to make his Houston debut off the bench… the 29-year-old prop began his MLR career with Seattle in 2018 and has since played for Austin and Chicago
| PREDICTION |
Their last meeting was at the same venue during the first round of last season’s playoffs, a match the Seawolves won comfortably to make it five positive results in a row against the SaberCats. Houston opted to rotate some of their players last week while Seattle will roll out a largely unchanged lineup. Fatigue could be a factor for both teams on a short turnaround, but both teams have strength in reserve. It’s a close call and should prove a highly physical encounter. Seattle are slight favorites at home.
| LINEUPS |
SEATTLE SEAWOLVES
1 Cameron Orr, 2 Joe Taufete’e, 3 Sam Matenga, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 5 Jean Droste, 6 Reid Davis, 7 Charles Elton (capt.), 8 Pago Haini, 9 JP Smith, 10 Mack Mason, 11 Jade Stighling, 12 Dan Kriel, 13 Divan Rossouw, 14 Lauina Futi, 15 Duncan Matthews
Replacements: 16 DaQuan Perry, 17 Chance Wenglewski, 18 Olive Kilifi, 19 Taylor Krumrei, 20 Isaia Lotawa, 21 Ryan Rees, 22 Sam Windsor, 23 Jeremiah Sio
HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Ezekiel Lindenmuth, 2 Pita Anae-Ah Sue, 3 Rob Cobb, 4 Justin Basson, 5 Johan Momsen (capt.), 6 Marno Redelinghuys, 7 Emmanuel Albert, 8 Ronan Murphy, 9 Andre Warner, 10 AJ Alatimu, 11 Jeremy Misailegalu, 12 Dom Akina, 13 Tautalatasi Tasi, 14 Christian Dyer, 15 Davy Coetzer
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Erasmus, 17 LaRome White, 18 Pono Davis, 19 Keni Nasoqeqe, 20 Asa Carter, 21 Carlo de Nysschen, 22 Max Schumacher, 23 Line Latu
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Friday, March 22
Venue: Starfire Stadium, Tukwila
Kickoff: 19:30 local (21:30 Central, 22:30 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: light rain, 55°F (13°C), wind NW 6-9mph (10-15km/h)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 2, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Moe Chaudhry (Canada)
Assistants: Austin Reed (USA) & Brian Dusablon (USA)
TMO: Scott Green (USA)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (11) – Seattle 9, Houston 2, STREAK Seattle +5
2023-06-24 – Seattle Seawolves 37, Houston SaberCats 26 (Starfire Stadium)
2023-05-13 – Houston SaberCats 17, Seattle Seawolves 34 (SaberCats Stadium)
2023-03-11 – Seattle Seawolves 24, Houston SaberCats 12 (Starfire Stadium)
2022-06-18 – Houston SaberCats 27, Seattle Seawolves 46 (SaberCats Stadium)
2022-05-27 – Seattle Seawolves 43, Houston SaberCats 36 (Starfire Stadium)
2022-03-12 – Houston SaberCats 21, Seattle Seawolves 19 (SaberCats Stadium)
2021-07-15 – Seattle Seawolves 40, Houston SaberCats 21 (Starfire Stadium)
2021-03-20 – Houston SaberCats 30, Seattle Seawolves 24 (SaberCats Stadium)
2019-04-13 – Houston SaberCats 10, Seattle Seawolves 52 (SaberCats Stadium)
2019-03-10 – Seattle Seawolves 27, Houston SaberCats 14 (Starfire Stadium)
2018-06-02 – Houston SaberCats 7, Seattle Seawolves 20 (Dyer Stadium)
