We were only a couple minutes away from the biggest upset of the season. Maybe the biggest upset in Major League Rugby history. Austin Elite Rugby, sitting winless on the season, nearly toppled the first place NOLA Gold on their home soil. Only a try on the final play saved the Gold. But it didn’t save their lone #1 ranking.

In fact, we have our first ever tie at the top. Co #1 Rugby United New York make their bid for glory by overmatching the Glendale Raptors in Coney Island on Sunday. But, could that be bad news for New York?

I think we might be seeing something of a TRS #1 Rank curse. Let’s look at the history of teams taking over the #1 ranking this year.

NOLA took it in Round 3, lost in Round 4 to NY

NY took it in Round 4, lost to Seattle in Round 5

Seattle took it in Round 5, then took a bye and struggled with the cellar-dwelling Texan teams in Round 7 and 8

NOLA reclaimed the top spot in Round 8, nearly lost to Austin at home in Round 9

NY moves up into a tie at #1 in Round 9, and a trip to Round Rock is forthcoming…

We shall see!

#1 tie NOLA GOLD (Record: 6-1; Last Week: #1)

Cam Dolan and Tristan Blewett sat out Round 9 and the Elite nearly made them pay for it. In a match that looked to have a lack of focus more than anything else, the Gold were able to pull it together and the summon the win just in time. Though it was a close call, there is a certain strength in that. NOLA fell behind late and had the capacity to simply dial it up for the win when needed.

Against Austin anyway.

They’ll need some of that moxie they’ve shown all year when they head to Glendale in Round 10. NOLA’s biggest road test of the year so far will tell us something about both teams. Hopefully, Blewett and Dolan are back in the lineup, so there are no what-ifs about the outcome.

#1 tie RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK (Record: 6-1; Last Week: #2)

Last week, we talked about the Roosters’ proclivity for narrow wins. But there was nothing narrow about this week’s deconstruction of the Glendale Raptors. In a statement victory, New York outclassed their opposition for the length of the match. The forward play had been a bit of a soft spot in the early season, but it has caught up to the backline as evidenced by their control of Round 9’s contest.

And they did it all without Cathal Marsh.

But the first homestand is over. It’s back to the road for the Roosters, this time to Austin. New York will have to do a better job of staying focused than NOLA did if they want to avoid a similarly challenging fixture. Given the history of the TRS curse, this one might prove more difficult than expected.

#3 SEATTLE SEAWOLVES (Record: 5-2; Last Week: #3)

Idle is as an idle does, sitting still in the rankings. Not idle this week, the Seawolves will have their hands full when their west coast rivals come to town. San Diego nicked one from Seattle in Round 2; this will be Seattle’s chance for vengeance. Seattle is still holding onto that home win streak dating back to early last year. Will San Diego be the one to snap it?

#4 SAN DIEGO LEGION (Record: 4-2-1; Last Week: #4)

Las time out, San Diego nearly fell to Glendale, but Joe Pietersen and the scrummagers of the year managed a last-second draw. It won’t get any easier this week, now in Seattle. Starting to fall behind in the race for the top of the standings, this will be a big fixture for both teams.

#5 TORONTO ARROWS (Record: 3-4; Last Week: #5)

A strong showing against NY still resulted in a loss before their bye in Round 9. Now they travel to struggling Utah. It’s been an up-and-down season for the Arrows, and they’ve been inconsistent in their form from one moment to the next. A down-Arrows week could spell defeat in Utah. But the up-Arrows should have a good chance to win.

And the long road has almost taken them back home. After this week, it will be a stretch of home games to close out. Going home 4-4 and surviving the Americas Rugby Championship isn’t half bad. It sounds a lot better than 3-5.

#6 GLENDALE RAPTORS (Record: 3-3-2; Last Week: #6)

Glendale showed only a hint of life this weekend. But two draws are keeping them from dropping completely out of the playoff hunt.

They’ll need to start getting wins, though, and soon. The return of their Eagles has made almost no noticeable difference, which doesn’t bode well. Nor does their schedule. They bring first place NOLA Gold to town this weekend, who are no doubt looking to get the bad taste of Austin out of their mouths. A loss here will drop Glendale below .500, and the playoffs will start to look distant. Round 10 is a bit early for a must win, but it feels like a must win.

#7 HOUSTON SABERCATS (Record: 2-5; Last Week: #8)

The ‘Cats jump up a spot on the back of a gutsy win over Utah. Sam Windsor has to be among the most valuable players in the league, despite Houston’s struggles. But they didn’t seem to miss the Josua Vici & Osea Kolinisau duo too much.

Still, hard to see them coming back into the playoff picture at this stage. It would take an epic run of form. More likely, they’ll be playing the role of spoilers here on out. With the precision of Windsor’s boot, they may find some success in that role.

#8 UTAH WARRIORS (Record: 1-4-1; Last Week: #7)

Not the best looking display of rugby in Round 9. Not at all. The play was sloppy and disconnected, and the Warriors were kept in the game only by their ball carrying talents. They’ll need more to win consistently in the MLR.

#9 AUSTIN ELITE RUGBY (Record: 0-8; Last Week: #9)

Well, Austin wasn’t the consensus #9 for the first time in a long time. If they had managed to rob it from NOLA, who knows where they would be today. I have to think they’d be out of the basement. But if they can keep playing like they did this week, they’ll be climbing up soon enough.

The offense has had some life since Romera and Silva took over and Moe Abdelmonum has been a difference maker around the breakdown. Ben Mitchell looks tired of losing out there, and I sense a win coming soon for the Elite.