MLR Team of the Week

What a memorable week for Major League Rugby. All six matches came right down to the wire with every losing team earning at least one bonus point. It wasn’t hard to find contenders for selection. Notable is a lack of LA players for the first time after their first defeat of the campaign at the hands of New York.

1 – James Rochford (Rugby United New York) Played right on the line and may have crossed it a couple times, but that’s what props do. Made hard yards with several strong carries, held he scrum, and defended well. Chance Wenglewski came on earlier than expected and put in a shift for ATL.

2 – Pat O’Toole (NOLA Gold) Clinical execution at the lineout saw the Irishman score two first half tries that set the foundation for NOLA’s narrow victory. Strong form has put him back into Eagles contention though there are several good options for Gary Gold to consider.

3 – Steven Longwell (Old Glory DC) Came on early in the second half and stabilized the DC scrum. His work rate in the loose was also impressive with one cover tackle preventing a likely try. Erich de Jager put in a yeoman’s effort for New England.

4 – Aston Fortuin (Utah Warriors) The Warriors look are a different team when he is on the pitch. A banker in the lineout for Utah and also a strong carrier who was rewarded with a first half try. Close competition came from New England’s Jackson Thiebes and New York’s Nick Civetta.

5 – Nate Brakeley (Rugby United New York) Fast becoming a regular in our weekly picks. Like an extra flanker, getting stuck into the breakdown when he wasn’t the tackler himself. Also pinched a lineout ball. Josh Larsen continues to be a big presence for New England.

6 – Tomás de la Vega (Toronto Arrows) If the last minute went differently the Argentine might have been man-of-the-match. A brilliant all-around performance. One minute he was scoring a try, the next winning a breakdown turnover, the next stealing a lineout.

7 – Andrew Durutalo (Seattle Seawolves) Started on the blindside and switched to openside at halftime. Played a full 80 minutes and had success slowing down San Diego ball at the breakdown with one key turnover. ATL’s Matt Heaton earns honorable mention for his leadership in the win over Toronto.

8 – Jason Damm (Rugby ATL) A close call just ahead of Old Glory’s Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz. Damm’s work rate was immense against the Arrows with countless carries into traffic and his fair share of tackles. These two are neck-and-neck for best eightman of the season thus far.

9 – John Poland (New England Free Jacks) Houston’s Nick Boyer was also influential, but we’ve gone for New England’s ‘petit general’. Poland never looked rattled when his team were down by 13 early in the second half. His scorching run to set up Harry Barlow’s second try was the turning point in the match.

10 – Dan Hollinshead (Rugby United New York) AJ Alatimu impressed on debut for Seattle, while Jason Robertson very nearly lead Old Glory to a road win. We can’t overlook Hollinshead’s kicking accuracy. He scored all 18 points in the memorable win over the previously unbeaten Giltinis.

11 – Paula Balekana (Houston SaberCats) Left wing was the most difficult to pick this week with New England’s Harry Barlow, Seattle’s Ross Neal, and Old Glory’s Renata Roberts-Te Nana all worthy contenders. In the end Balekana’s magical second try sealed his selection though it wasn’t quite enough to get his team a win.

12 – Will Leonard (Rugby United New York) Embodied New York’s team effort with a gutsy display in the midfield. Put his body on the line in defense and determined with ball in hand. His old mate Mark O’Keeffe had another good game for ATL, while Calvin Whiting was among Utah’s best.

13 – Bjorn Basson (San Diego Legion) It was tempting to pick Utah’s Mika Kruse based on his last-second try alone. Basson was San Diego’s best in Seattle, however, and merits inclusion after setting up his team’s first try and finishing the second himself.

14 – Conner Mooneyham (Austin Gilgronis) A late yellow card dampened his score but not enough to erase his excellent contributions from earlier in the game, including a fine finish for the first try of the game. LA’s John Ryberg ran well and was noticeably busy in defense.

15 – Mike Te’o (Utah Warriors) Kept Old Glory guessing where he might turn up in the line. Despite being targeted by the defense he still managed to tear up the field. Hanno Dirksen was a key contributor for NOLA while LA’s DTH van der Merwe covered for an injured Glenn Bryce.