Are you ready for some rugby? The time has come. All the preseason talk takes a back seat to the guys between the touchlines. Major League Rugby’s first season entertained from start to finish. Everything feels turned up to an even higher level of intensity this year.

Coaching staffs have expanded. Players have flooded in from overseas. The league has doubled its season length and added two new sides, including a Canadian one. USA Rugby just completed arguably their best year in history. And with a World Cup awaiting in the fall, this will be everyone’s last chance to raise their hands for Gary Gold and a plane ticket to Japan.

There are enough storylines to fill a season of Game of Thrones. But it all begins with Round 1.

The Arrows are, in many ways, filling the role of dark horse championship candidate in much the way NOLA did last year. As it turned out, NOLA’s prospects outran their performance in 2018. But the Arrows have a lot working in their favor.

Their origins in Canadian club rugby provide a history together absent in classic expansion teams. Combined with their concentration of Canadian internationals, that should make them an effectively functioning team with a proven core of talent.

But down south, NOLA has been actively improving. Cam Dolan was a big poach, and the Gold has been bulking up their pack. They are also more fit than they were in the early part of 2018, which bodes well for some performance enhancement.

Unfortunately for the Gold, it will take time together for the team defense to get where it needs to be. They’ve taken steps in the right direction, but not enough to beat the talented Arrows side.

Toronto by 10

In a rematch of the friendly earlier this preseason, the SaberCats battle the Elite for Lonestar State supremacy. The Elite edged the earlier contest 14-10.

Both teams struggled last year, though the Elite found their stride in the second half. Houston, on the other hand, never seemed to find it. The preseason friendly was much the same, with a more imposing line up in black and gold ultimately not able to execute enough to win.

Paul Mullen’s 11th-hour return to the ‘Cats will be a big boost, and their set piece should hold up well against Austin. If they can find a way to activate their skilled players, they could run away with it. But at this point, they need to show that they’re capable of doing that. They haven’t shown it yet.

Austin by 3

New York has been busy staying active in the media. They’ve been less busy on the pitch. The bones of the team, as with most, emerge from local clubs that already know each other’s instincts. But, unlike Toronto, most of their premier players are joining from other locales. Still, those premier players are top notch.

San Diego has an Eagle-heavy roster, with seven players either called up or injured. At full strength, their back line may be the most electric in MLR. But, even if the internationals are made available for Round 1 (which it seems they will be), injuries to Nate Augspurger and Dylan Audsley will dull some of that electric charge.

RUNY should have the edge up front, with several capped players in the pack. Combined with the Legion’s injuries to their backline and the typical rustiness you’d expect in a season opener, that may give NY the advantage it needs. It’s a long trip to San Diego to start off MLR play, but in what seems destined to be a skilled battle of two strong teams, look for the “Roosters” to emerge with the narrow W.

New York by 2

Seattle will get the benefit of home field advantage in this rematch of the 2018 championship. The Seawolves have been the picture of consistency, retaining nearly all of their talent. The Raptors have experienced more volatility, seeing key players like Bryce Campbell depart but landing perhaps the biggest fish in the MLR sea –Hanco Germishuys. Hanco scored two tries last weekend in a friendly against Houston. Given the benefit of Glendale’s better structure, he should score even more than he did last year with Austin.

But the Seawolves are better than last year. Ben Cima is a key cog added to a machine that was already functioning pretty well to begin with. Their defense was always the best at home, where they will once again have a sellout crowd chanting for the success of the Seawall.

This is going to be a bruiser. Right now, it may be MLR’s first true rivalry. Glendale struck the first blows last season, but Seattle has the momentum and the edge in Round 1 of 2019.

Seattle by 5

TRS Staff Picks

You can find TRS contributor Paul Bains’ picks here.

Season Summary