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NOLA will look to make it three wins on the trot when they host Utah at The Gold Mine on Saturday evening. The Warriors came up short against Miami last week and need some positive results to get back in the playoff picture, but face an opponent they have never beaten.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
5-4-0 (W2) East 3rd
4-6-0 (L1) West 5th
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
3 Sean Paranihi replaces Matt Harmon (No1 vs Miami)
5 Cam Dolan replaces William Waguespack
10 Reece Botha replaces Dorian Jones (injury)
15 Dougie Fife replaces Julian Roberts
1 Fatongia Paea replaces Emerson Prior
2 Phil Bradford replaces Nic Souchon
4 Saia Uhila replaces Bailey Wilson (No6 vs Miami)
7 John DuPree replaces Dylan Nel (suspension)
8 Onehunga Havili replaces Thomas Tu’avao
12 Paul Lasike replaces Lopeti Aisea
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(7) – Dolan, Tonga’uiha, Harmon (USA), Noa, Fidow (Samoa), Fife (Scotland), Botchar (Canada)
(9) – Mullen, Jensen, Mano, Lasike, M Kruse, MacLellan, Wilson, Tu’avao (USA), Havili (Tonga)
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Dorian Jones (FH), Rodney Iona (FH/CE)
– Dylan Nel (FL/N8), Michael Manson (WI)
| NOTES |
- Jarred Adams switches to his favored loosehead side of the front row as NOLA welcome back tighthead prop duo Sean Paranihi and Isaac Salmon… Paranihi returns from suspension and Salmon from injury
- Cam Dolan starts for the first time this season, packing down in the second row… William Waguespack joins Callum Botchar on the bench, giving the Gold two locks in reserve with Maciu Koroi the sixth forward covering the back row
- injury to Dorian Jones means that NOLA are without their top two flyhalf options this week with Rodney Iona also out… Reece Botha lines up in the No10 shirt
- Sebastiano Villani is left out of the match day 23 leaving no specialist scrumhalf behind starter Luke Campbell… versatile back Julian Roberts covers in case of emergency
- Fatongia Paea gets his first start for Utah at loosehead prop after making a try-scoring debut as a replacement against Miami… Phil Bradford makes a swift return from injury to start at hooker in one of two changes to the front row
- John DuPree makes his first appearance of the season for Utah, replacing Dylan Nel at openside flanker… Nel is serving the first of a five-game suspension after being sent off against Miami… there is a full complement of loose forwards on the Warriors bench with Frank Lochore and Onehunga Havili capable of switching to lock
- Paul Lasike returns from injury to an otherwise unchanged Utah backline… Lopeti Aisea drops to the bench, joining Zion Going as the only back reserves
| PREDICTION |
Despite both teams being founding members of MLR, this is just their 6th meeting in eight seasons. The Gold have dominated the head-to-head though notably Utah haven’t played host since the 2019 campaign. On form the home side look the better team having edged the Seawolves last week. Utah looked flat against the Sharks and while Lasike boosts the backline, the loss of Nel – arguably their best forward – is significant. NOLA are favorites at home.
| LINEUPS |
NOLA GOLD
1 Jarred Adams, 2 Pat O’Toole, 3 Sean Paranihi, 4 Malcolm May, 5 Cam Dolan, 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (capt.), 7 Jonah Mau’u, 8 OJ Noa, 9 Luke Campbell, 10 Reece Botha, 11 Ed Fidow, 12 Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13 Ross Depperschmidt, 14 Taniela Filimone, 15 Dougie Fife
Replacements: 16 Ale Lopeti, 17 Matt Harmon, 18 Isaac Salmon, 19 Callum Botchar, 20 William Waguespack, 21 Maciu Koroi, 22 Julian Roberts, 23 Harley Wheeler
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Fatongia Paea, 2 Phil Bradford, 3 Paul Mullen, 4 Saia Uhila, 5 Matt Jensen, 6 Frank Lochore, 7 John DuPree, 8 Onehunga Havili, 9 Kieran McClea, 10 Joel Hodgson (capt), 11 Joe Mano, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Isaia Kruse, 15 Caleb Makene
Replacements: 16 Nic Souchon, 17 Emerson Prior, 18 Angus MacLellan, 19 Bailey Wilson, 20 Thomas Tu’avao, 21 Zion Going, 22 Kalisi Moli, 23 Lopeti Aisea
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, May 18
Venue: The Gold Mine, Metairie
Kickoff: 19:00 local (17:00 Pacific, 18:00 Mountain, 20:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 82°F (28°C), wind SW 3-5mph (5-8km/h)
Broadcasts: KMYU, KSL Sports, YurView Louisiana, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Moe Chaudhry (Canada) & Ben Dickenson (USA)
TMO: Cam Russell (Canada)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (5) – NOLA 5, Utah 0
2023-03-18 – NOLA Gold 37, Utah Warriors 14 (The Gold Mine)
2021-05-22 – NOLA Gold 29, Utah Warriors 24 (The Gold Mine)
2019-04-13 – NOLA Gold 28, Utah Warriors 19 (Archbishop Stadium Stadium)
2019-03-02 – Utah Warriors 19, NOLA Gold 21 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2018-06-16 – Utah Warriors, 43, NOLA Gold 46 (Zions Bank Stadium)
