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Once close rivals in the Eastern Conference, NOLA will renew acquaintances with the team formerly known as Rugby ATL on Sunday. It’s the Gold who have the upper hand in terms of ranking now, with RFC Los Angeles very much on the outside looking in to the playoff race.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
8-5-0 (W1) East 2nd
4-8-1 (L1) West 6th
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
1 Matt Harmon replaces Jarred Adams
2 Ale Lopeti replaces Augusto Böhme
3 Isaac Salmon replaces Sean Paranihi
6 Tom Florence replaces Malcolm May
9 Damian Stevens replaces Luke Campbell
10 Reece Botha replaces Dorian Jones
12 Rodney Iona replaces Reece Depperschmidt
1 Wilton Rebolo replaces Dane Zander
3 Conor Young replaces Ben Strang (No2 vs Houston)
4 Max Katjijeko replaces Reegan O’Gorman (injury)
6 Bruce Yun replaces Bruce Kauika-Petersen
10 Sean Nolan replaces Brooklyn Hardaker (No12 vs Houston)
11 Henry Speight replaces Jack Shaw
15 Rory van Vugt replaces James Stokes
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(7) – Harmon, M Tonga’uiha, Dolan (USA), Botchar (Canada), Stevens (Namibia), Iona (Samoa), Fortuny (Argentina)
(9) – Rebolo (Brazil), Maughan, Damm (USA), Young, Heaton, Coe (Canada), Katjijeko (Namibia), Kunatani (Fiji), Speight (Australia)
| CLUB DEBUTS |
(1) – Diego Fortuny
(1) – Sean Nolan*
* – MLR debut
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Pat O’Toole (HO), Jonah Mau’u (FL), OJ Noa (N8), Ed Fidow (WI), Dougie Fife (FB)
– Bruce Kauika-Petersen (HO), Theo Vukasinovic (LO), Ben Mitchell (LO), Reegan O’Gorman (LO), Jurie van Vuuren (LO/N8), Michael Amiras (FL), Dan Hollinshead (FH), Jordan Chait (FH)
| NOTES |
- Eagles select Alex Maughan will start at hooker for the first time this season for LA… while Bruce Yun makes his first MLR start on the flank in place of the suspended Bruce Kauika-Petersen
- Brazil prop Wilton Rebolo and ex-Wallabies winger Henry Speight are handed their first starts for their new club… replacing Dane Zander and Jack Shaw respectively
- there is a shortage of forward cover for LA on the bench with only four named… Liam Antrobus covers lock with the other three forwards all front rowers
- new signing Sean Nolan makes his pro debut at flyhalf for LA… he is a Laguna Beach native who played for Davenport University and the local Belmont Shore club… the 23-year-old was a USA u20 select in 2020 though their games were cancelled due to the pandemic… Nolan will be the sixth player to wear the No10 shirt for LA this season
- with Reece Botha slotting in at flyhalf for NOLA, it’s the first time in the 2024 MLR season that both starting No10s will be US-eligible
- the Gold have two late arrivals making their season debut… last year’s outstanding player Tom Florence fills the back row gap left by OJ Noa’s suspension… he made four appearances for the Chiefs in Super Rugby earlier this year… former SaberCats hooker Diego Fortuny has joined after captaining the American Raptors in Super Rugby Americas
- Rodney Iona returns to the Gold lineup after a five-game absence… he slots in at inside center with JP du Plessis bumping out one spot to the No13 shirt
| PREDICTION |
Remarkably the Gold never got the best of ATL in eight times of asking, but now have a chance to get it right against the relocated franchise. LA are playing their last home game of the season and will be desperate for a win but realistically they have little shot at the playoffs and are heavily compromised with injuries. NOLA are clear favorites on the road.
| LINEUPS |
RFC LOS ANGELES
1 Wilton Rebolo, 2 Alex Maughan, 3 Conor Young, 4 Max Katjijeko, 5 Jason Damm, 6 Bruce Yun, 7 Matt Heaton (capt.), 8 Semi Kunatani, 9 Tas Smith, 10 Sean Nolan, 11 Henry Speight, 12 Jason Emery, 13 Will Leonard, 14 Andrew Coe, 15 Rory van Vugt
Replacements: 16 Ben Strang, 17 Alessandro Heaney, 18 Dane Zander, 19 Liam Antrobus, 20 James Stokes, 21 Niall Saunders, 22 Jack Shaw, 23 Austin White
NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon, 2 Ale Lopeti, 3 Isaac Salmon, 4 Callum Botchar, 5 William Waguespack, 6 Tom Florence, 7 Moni Tonga’uiha (capt.), 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Damian Stevens, 10 Reece Botha, 11 Taniela Filimone, 12 Rodney Iona, 13 JP du Plessis, 14 Harley Wheeler, 15 Jordan Jackson-Hope
Replacements: 16 Diego Fortuny, 17 Jarred Adams, 18 Sean Paranihi, 19 Malcolm May, 20 Osaiasi Tonga’uiha, 21 Sebastiano Villani, 22 Ross Depperschmidt, 23 Jack Webster
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Sunday, Jun 16
Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
Kickoff: 15:00 local (17:00 Central, 18:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 79°F (26°C), wind SW 9-14mph (14-22km/h)
Broadcasts: Bally Sports SoCal, YurView Louisiana, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Scott Green (USA)
Assistants: Kat Roche (USA) & Will Nelson (USA)
TMO: Greg Gilliam (USA)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (8) – ATL 8, NOLA 0
2023-04-15 – NOLA Gold 7, Rugby ATL 23 (The Gold Mine)
2023-03-04 – Rugby ATL 29, NOLA Gold 16 (Silverbacks Park)
2022-06-03 – Rugby ATL 45, NOLA Gold 19 (Silverbacks Park)
2022-04-09 – NOLA Gold 17, Rugby ATL 34 (The Gold Mine)
2022-02-12 – NOLA Gold 9, Rugby ATL 14 (The Gold Mine)
2021-06-05 – NOLA Gold 7, Rugby ATL 8 (The Gold Mine)
2021-04-24 – Rugby ATL 38, NOLA Gold 28 (Lupo Family Field)
2020-02-16 – NOLA Gold 10, Rugby ATL 22 (The Gold Mine)
