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Two teams looking to bounce back from defeat collide at Zions Bank Stadium on Saturday. The Utah Warriors host the Toronto Arrows in snowy conditions that might leave the visitors wondering if they’d actually traveled north instead of south.
It won’t be just the frost that the Arrows have to contend with, they’ll also be playing at altitude. Another factor is their health. Toronto have been decimated by injuries, a theme nightmarishly recurring from last season. As a result they’ve called up two players from the academy, have pieced together a makeshift bench, and have named one of their leading forwards in the backs.
Mitch Eadie will play at inside center for the first time in his career. The loose forward pairs with Fabian Goodall after both Noel Reid and Tautalatasi Tasi were hurt last week. Also out are Mitch Richardson and Ciaran Breen, so it’s a back three of Avery Oitomen, Kobe Faust, and Brenden Black. The latter is still a month shy of his 19th birthday and becomes the youngest starter in Major League Rugby history.
Up front there is less disruption with Eadie the only starter needing replacement. Lucas Rumball moves to the back of the scrum as a result with with James O’Neill coming in on the flank. Gene Syminton and Isaac Salmon are back as front row reserves but the rest of the bench is comprised of two scrumhalves, a third hooker, once-capped Owain Ruttan, and newly-promoted Hank Stevenson.
The Warriors did not enjoy their trip to New Orleans and Greg Cooper has responded with sweeping changes. There are first ever starts for hooker Joey Backe, blindside flanker Jeremiah Noaese, and right wing Logan Tago. Reserve tighthead prop Takaji Young Yen will make his pro debut and Chad Gough will get a run for the first time this season.
Other changes see Emerson Prior and Angus MacLellan named as starting bookends in the front row, with Jurie van Vuuren a straight swap for Saia Uhila at lock. At scrumhalf Zion Going gets his first start of the campaign, as does inside center Tyler Fisher. Mika Kruse will switch from wing to outside center.
The environment won’t be a welcoming one for the Arrows, who were soundly beaten in DC. Black has been handed the biggest test of his career and Eadie’s selection in the midfield is far from ideal. Utah’s bench is filled with regular starters while Toronto’s does not inspire the same confidence. Expect that to be the difference for the home side.
Kickoff is set for 2:30pm local time, 1:30pm Pacific, 4:30pm Eastern. Canadian viewers can watch on TSN’s digital services, and there will be a local broadcast on KMYU and the KSL Sports website in Utah. Viewers located elsewhere can watch on The Rugby Network.
UTAH WARRIORS
1 Emerson Prior, 2 Joey Backe, 3 Angus MacLellan, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 5 Jamie Lane, 6 Jeremiah Noaese, 7 Lance Williams, 8 Thomas Tu’avao, 9 Zion Going, 10 Joel Hodgson, 11 Joe Mano, 12 Tyler Fisher, 13 Mika Kruse, 14 Logan Tago, 15 Caleb Makene (capt.)
Replacements: 16 Chad Gough, 17 Olive Kilifi, 18 Takaji Young Yen, 19 Saia Uhila, 20 Onehunga Havili, 21 Bailey Wilson, 22 Connor McLeod, 23 Paul Lasike
TORONTO ARROWS
1 Lolani Faleiva, 2 Ramón Ayarza, 3 Tyler Rowland, 4 Mike Sheppard, 5 Adrian Wadden, 6 Mason Flesch, 7 James O’Neill, 8 Lucas Rumball (capt.), 9 Ross Braude, 10 Sam Malcolm, 11 Avery Oitomen, 12 Mitch Eadie, 13 Fabian Goodall, 14 Kobe Faust, 15 Brenden Black
Replacements: 16 Gene Syminton, 17 Conan O’Donnell, 18 Isaac Salmon, 19 Hank Stevenson, 20 Owain Ruttan, 21 Will Grant, 22 Cole Brown, 23 Jack McRogers
Date: Saturday, March 25
Venue: Zions Bank Stadium, Herriman
Kickoff: 14:30 local (13:30 Pacific, 16:30 Eastern)
Broadcasts: KMYU, KSL Sports, The Rugby Network, TSN Digital
Referee: Cam Stone (New Zealand)
Assistants: Kahlil Harrison (USA) & Justin Canova (USA)
TMO: Derek Summers (USA)
HISTORICAL RESULTS
2022-03-19 – Utah Warriors 24, Toronto Arrows 27 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2021-03-27 – Utah Warriors 39, Toronto Arrows 24 (Zions Bank Stadium)
2019-05-12 – Toronto Arrows 28, Utah Warriors 21 (Lamport Stadium)
2019-03-30 – Utah Warriors 31, Toronto Arrows 64 (Zions Bank Stadium)
