It was a snowy Round 6 for Major League Rugby, which played havoc with the affected sides. With teams trying to show their quality in a very evenly-matched season, performances in the winter wonderlands may ultimately say something about team resiliency.

Houston SaberCats avoided the snow but couldn’t avoid another loss, furthering the Texan malaise that has marked the early part of MLR 2019. With only eight combined (with Austin Elite Rugby) points on the table after nine fixtures played, it is looking less and less likely that the playoffs go through Texas.

Winter is Coming

Both the Toronto Arrows visiting Glendale Raptors and the NOLA Gold visiting Utah Warriors resolved their differences on snow-covered pitches. NOLA was able to handle the conditions, though not without difficulty. Toronto, on the other hand, seemed unable to shift into drive. That may have surprised, considering their relative home climates. But it says something about each of these sides’ ability to dig deep and find a way to win.

NOLA has found a successful recipe for “gumbo rugby” in the early part of the season. That recipe calls for excellence in getting the ball wide and playmaking outside backs. That recipe doesn’t taste quite as good when chilled, it turns out. They got the ball wide, but a little slower than usual. They found their playmakers, but those playmakers’ ability to cut and burn was dampened.

That all worked to the advantage of Utah. Utah’s power style is far more suited to the snow. Not to take anything away from Utah’s skilled backs, because skill they do have, but Utah at least has the ability to play a tight, forceful running game. They showed it on Saturday night, steamrolling over NOLA into an early lead. At one point, Fetu’u Vainikolo nearly put Holden Yungert in an early grave.

But NOLA dug deep. They didn’t panic despite their first meaningful deficit of the season. When the breakaways that led to tries in Louisiana merely led to a mouth full of snow at Zions Bank Stadium, they kept their heads. They had to adopt enough of a power game to beat the Warriors, and so adopt just enough of it they did. Their final try was typical. Only after working the try line and fronting up to the Utah defenders inside were they able to make the space outside needed for a score. It wasn’t much space in the slowed-down conditions, but it was just enough to dot down in the corner. And it was just enough for NOLA to win.

Winter is Here

Toronto had the added disadvantage of playing their fifth straight road game and catching Glendale for the home opener. No easy task. And, as usual, they sacrificed a handful of starters to Americas Rugby Championship call-ups. Neither of those things excuse the Arrows’ listless performance.

Against Houston and in the cases where the Arrows have found success, they’ve done it with pace. If their early contribution to MLR could be characterized, one might think of them as a team with good fundamentals and with explosive speed threats. Dan Moor, in particular, has been burning the pitch up.

In the snow, however, both failed. The loss of speed is understandable. It is simply not possible to run as fast in two inches of snow. The lack of fundamentals, however, is not understandable. Toronto seemed at an utter loss with ball in hand. Even when they managed to hold onto it, it looked like they had no idea what to do with it.

Glendale played the weather well. They limited their handling errors, which was a refreshing improvement for a side struggling with errors this season. They used momentum to attack rather than pure pace, and momentum combined with handling was enough to dot a few down. Toronto had neither and consequently never got onto the scoreboard. It was the first shutout of the season.

Heeee’s (Full) Baaaaack!

Ben Foden made his first start in the #15 shirt for Rugby United New York and played his best game as a Rooster. While his attack had gotten on track against Seattle, his defense and positioning gave away as much to the Seawolves as his runs took from them.

Now, at a position he is perhaps more familiar with, he played his first complete game. And, with Chris Mattina shifted to wing, the defensive effort of the RUNY back three in Houston far surpassed what it accomplished the week prior in that stadium which shall not be named today because of a certain recent bad memory there.

That was no easy task. Despite Houston’s struggles in 2018 and their slow start this season, the SaberCats have some tremendous attacking options in the backfield. For the first time this year, Sam Windsor, Josua Vici, and Osea Kolinisau all took the pitch at the same time. That is as dangerous a set of attackers as you’ll find in MLR. And yet, even at home, the RUNY defense held Houston outside the try line until the game was out of reach well into the second half. That was partly because RUNY did a clever job of controlling possession. But when the ‘Cats did get the ball, RUNY’s defense was reliable and effective. That is a good sign, considering how easily the Seawolves cut it to shreds.

Houston, for their part, did seem to have almost put the pieces together. If not for an intercept early, they may have scored the first try. That with four players away playing for the team that shall not be named today because of a certain recent bad memory. They are close to having something. But, they were close all last year too.

Round 6 Results

Houston 8 – New York 35

Glendale 22 – Toronto 0

Utah 19 – NOLA 21

Standings