Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
The postseason is now beyond the reach of Utah, but they still have two home games left to entertain their fans and avoid finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference. Dallas meanwhile have clinched their first playoff berth and have an outside chance of catching San Diego for third seed.
| CURRENT STANDINGS |
4-10-0 (L6) West 5th
6-8-0 (L1) West 4th
| STARTING LINEUP CHANGES |
3 Angus MacLellan replaces Paul Mullen
8 Onehunga Havili replaces Thomas Tu’avao
11 Joe Mano replaces Jesse Hamilton
13 Lopeti Aisea replaces Zion Going (injury)
1 Connor Grindal replaces Liam Murray
2 Dewald Kotze replaces Tomás Bekerman
4 Sam Golla replaces Kyle Breytenbach
5 Javon Camp replaces Lucas Bur
7 Ben Fry replaces Jerónimo Gómez Vara
9 Pedro Imhoff replaces Juan-Dee Oliver
10 Connor Winchester replaces Martín Elías
12 Manuel Covella replaces Nic Benn (No11 vs DC)
14 Marcell Muller replaces Jason Tidwell
15 Nazareno Valentini replaces Tomás Malanos
| CAPPED INTERNATIONALS |
(7) – Vugakoto (Fiji), MacLellan, Wilson, Mano, Lasike (USA), Havili (Tonga), Povey (Canada)
(6) – Zeiss, Imhoff (Argentina), Golla (USA), Richardson, Murray, Steeves (Canada)
| CLUB DEBUTS |
(1) – Javon Camp
| NOTABLE ABSENTEES |
– Matt Jensen (LO), Dylan Nel (FL), Thomas Tu’avao (N8), Spencer Jones (CE), Mika Kruse (CE/WI)
– Lucas Bur (LO), Jerónimo Gómez Vara (FL), Martín Elías (FH), Vaughen Isaacs (FB)
| NOTES |
- Utah’s backline receives a boost out wide with the return of try scoring dynamo Joe Mano on the left wing… fellow USA international Mika Kruse was a late scratch with Lopeti Aisea instead starting at outside center
- Tuvere Vugakoto keeps his place in the No2 shirt with Phil Bradford selected as reserve hooker this week… that means it’s the first Utah match day 23 of the season without Nic Souchon
- Zion Going pulled a hamstring earlier in last week’s loss to New England… his absence sees former Arrows scrumhalf Sam Reimer called up to the bench and in line for his second appearance of the season
- loosehead prop Connor Grindal is rewarded for his good showing off the bench last week with a first start in Dallas colors… Javon Camp makes his club debut at lock after being an unused replacement against DC
- Jerónimo Gómez Vara gets a week off but Sam Golla returns to the starting lineup to captain the Jackals… Ben Fry returns from a shoulder injury to get a run at flanker in place of Gómez Vara
- the Dallas backline is almost entirely changed with only Mitch Richardson wearing the same number as a week ago… winger Marcell Muller makes his first appearance since early April
| PREDICTION |
The Jackals broke a four-game losing streak against Utah in their last outing, but have opted for significant squad rotation this week with an eye towards the postseason. Meanwhile the Warriors have dropped six straight and are in danger of tying their franchise record of consecutive defeats set back in 2019. On paper Utah have a competitive lineup but it’s hard to be confident in a side that has underwhelmed for much of the season. Dallas are slight favorites on the road.
| LINEUPS |
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Emerson Prior, 2 Tuvere Vugakoto, 3 Angus MacLellan, 4 Frank Lochore, 5 Saia Uhila, 6 Bailey Wilson, 7 Kalisi Moli, 8 Onehunga Havili, 9 Kieran McClea, 10 Joel Hodgson (capt.), 11 Joe Mano, 12 Paul Lasike, 13 Lopeti Aisea, 14 Michael Manson, 15 Caleb Makene
Replacements: 16 Phil Bradford, 17 Franco van den Berg, 18 Tonga Kofe, 19 Louis Conradie, 20 John DuPree, 21 Sam Reimer, 22 Jesse Hamilton, 23 Robbie Povey
DALLAS JACKALS
1 Connor Grindal, 2 Dewald Kotze, 3 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 4 Sam Golla (capt.), 5 Javon Camp, 6 Ronan Foley, 7 Ben Fry, 8 Sam Tuifua, 9 Pedro Imhoff, 10 Connor Winchester, 11 Tomás Cubilla, 12 Manuel Covella, 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 Marcell Muller, 15 Nazareno Valentini
Replacements: 16 Liam Murray, 17 Tomás Bekerman, 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Kyle Breytenbach, 20 Daemon Torres, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Marques Fuala’au, 23 Jason Tidwell
| MATCH INFO |
Date: Saturday, June 22
Venue: Zions Bank Stadium, Herriman
Kickoff: 20:00 local (19:00 Pacific, 21:00 Central, 22:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 79°F (26°C), wind SE 6-9mph (10-14km/h)
Broadcasts: KMYU, KSL Sports, The Rugby Network
| OFFICIALS |
Referee: Lex Weiner (USA)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA) & Kage Green (USA)
TMO: Cam Russell (Canada)
| HISTORY |
HEAD-TO-HEAD (5) – Utah 4, Dallas 1, STREAK Dallas +1
2024-04-12 – Dallas Jackals 22, Utah Warriors 20 (Choctaw Stadium)
2023-05-13 – Dallas Jackals 26, Utah Warriors 36 (Choctaw Stadium)
2023-02-25 – Utah Warriors 33, Dallas Jackals 25 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2022-06-04 – Dallas Jackals 5, Utah Warriors 33 (Choctaw Stadium)
2022-03-05 – Utah Warriors 69, Dallas Jackals 22 (Zions Bank Stadium)
