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The rains had their say on May 11 when this match was originally scheduled, but the forecast is all clear for tonight reschedule at the AVEVA Stadium. With two wins in a row the resurgent Houston SaberCats will look to continue their late-season form when they host the slumping Glendale Raptors.
Both sides are out of playoff contention leaving only pride to play for, but also potentially a chance for some fringe players to impress the coaching staff ahead of next season. It’s a short turnaround from the weekend so even those named on the bench should see plenty of game time.
Houston have made four changes to the forward pack that had the edge over Austin. Jamie Dever and Charlie Connolly form an all-Irish front row with Pat O’Toole, with Mateo Sanguinetti sitting out and Paul Mullen on the bench. Victor Comptat comes in for Matt Trouville at lock, and Alejandro Nieto returns at No8 after being a late scratch against the Gold.
Zach Pangelinan’s scrumhalf cameo is over for now as Connor Murphy is fit to start in the only change to the starting backline. On the bench there is one further alteration as veteran Kelly Kolberg returns after missing the last six weeks to replace youngster Kieran Farmer.
Glendale will see their season come to an early close and will do so on only two days rest following their heavy defeat in Toronto on Sunday. Noah Barker moves to tighthead prop with Blake Rogers getting the start at loosehead. Brendan Daly shifts to lock with Jason Damm handed his first Major League Rugby start on the blindside flank.
The halfbacks are swapped out as regular skipper Shaun Davies is restored alongside Ata Malifa. Try-scoring sensation John Ryberg misses out so the left wing spot goes to Mika Kruse, with Robbie Petzer fit to return in the midfield.
Houston are the feel-good story of the season at the moment and will be keen to stretch their unprecedented winning streak to three games. The extra day off and a bit of confidence will come in handy against a battered and deflated Glendale side who have lost two straight. The Raptors remain dangerous but the SaberCats hold a slim psychological edge heading in.
Kickoff is set for 7:30pm local time, 6:30 Mountain, 8:30 Eastern. A local broadcast will be available on KUBE57 in Houston, with a live stream available on the official MLR Facebook page.
HOUSTON SABERCATS
1 Jamie Dever, 2 Pat O’Toole, 3 Charlie Connolly, 4 Diego Magno, 5 Victor Comptat, 6 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, 7 Cecil Garber, 8 Alejandro Nieto, 9 Connor Murphy, 10 Sam Windsor, 11 Deion Mikesell, 12 Thretton Palamo (capt.), 13 Josua Vici, 14 Malacchi Esdale, 15 Osea Kolinisau
Replacements: 16 Amro Gouda, 17 Paul Mullen, 18 Jake Turnbull, 19 Robert Meeson, 20 Luke Beauchamp, 21 Chris Coyle, 22 Zach Pangelinan, 23 Kelly Kolberg
GLENDALE RAPTORS
1 Blake Rogers, 2 Zach Fenoglio, 3 Noah Barker, 4 Brendan Daly, 5 Luke White, 6 Jason Damm, 7 Malon Al-Jiboori, 8 Murphy Taramai, 9 Shaun Davies (capt.), 10 Ata Malifa, 11 Harley Davidson, 12 Robbie Petzer, 13 Chad London, 14 Mika Kruse, 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson
Replacements: 16 Chad Gough, 17 Max Lum, 18 Kody O’Neil, 19 Will Munro, 20 Connor Cook, 21 Carlo de Nysschen, 22 Will Magie, 23 Campbell Johnstone
Date: Wednesday, May 29
Venue: AVEVA Stadium, Houston
Kickoff: 19:30 local (17:30 Pacific, 17:30 Mountain, 20:30 Eastern)
Broadcasts: Facebook, KUBE57
