Major League Rugby: Five things we learnt as the newbies impress and Ma’a Nonu’s charges ‘stunned’
New Zealand's Ma'a Nonu during the Captain's Run at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
Last weekend across the Atlantic, the sixth season of Major League Rugby got underway.
Primed to be the best season yet, rugby journalist Joe Harvey cast his eye over proceedings in North America as rugby’s sleeping giant continues to stir.
Here are five things we learnt after week one of the 2024 MLR season.
Defending champions dominate
After lifting the Major League Rugby shield last July, the New England Free Jacks started their title defence with a 46-13 victory over tournament newbies Anthem Rugby Carolina.
Playing the league’s youngest franchise, who were only announced as joining the competition in January, Scott Mathie’s Free Jacks were ruthless as they opened their account for 2024.
Reece MacDonald was awarded the Player of the Week award for his efforts after scoring three tries, beating nine defenders and making 222 metres with ball-in-hand.
Taking a 29-3 lead in at half-time, New England looked comfortable throughout the clash and will have sterner challenges ahead as match-ups with Old Glory DC, NOLA Gold and the Chicago Hounds come into view.
Seawolves stun star-studded San Diego
Throughout the off-season, plenty of attention has been paid to Danny Lee’s San Diego Legion.
Luring Wallabies legend Matt Giteau back to the sport after a two-year hiatus and retaining the services of All Blacks Rugby World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu, the Southern California side has been the subject of plenty of hype.
Giteau did not play in the season opener and instead had to watch on from afar as his new team suffered a 25-19 defeat.
Mack Mason starred for the Seawolves, the former New South Wales Waratahs fly-half kicking 20 points in the victory and controlling the game from the outset.
A comprehensive performance from start to finish, Seattle will welcome the Miami Sharks in week two, and the Legion travel to play the Dallas Jackals.
The future is now for Houston SaberCats
On Sunday evening the Houston SaberCats gave 18-year-old hooker Seth Smith his MLR debut. The teenager’s first appearance for Heyneke Meyer’s team is a monumental achievement for the Texas outfit.
Passing through the team’s Player Pathway, Smith has progressed from the SaberCats U18s and their second XV before making his debut in a 22-15 win against the Utah Warriors.
With one of the league’s key objectives being to aid the development of domestic players for the years to come. Each MLR team has developed a route from grassroots to the professional stage, Smith being an early example of just what is possible in the years to come.
New kids on the block impress on debut
Along with Anthem Rugby Carolina, the 2024 season has seen the introduction of two more teams to MLR.
Both the Miami Sharks and Rugby Football Club Los Angeles are new faces to the league and were highly competitive in their premiere outings, despite short pre-seasons and limited time to set their foundations. As a result, the new kids on the block can often struggle to find their footing before becoming truly competitive. Until now.
For Los Angeles there was late heartbreak as a late Martin Elias drop goal gave the Dallas Jackals a 32-29 win at Dignity Health Sports Park. Despite leading by two points at the break, Los Angeles will have been disappointed to have lost their grip on the game, but can take great confidence going into this weekend’s clash with the Houston SaberCats.
Miami ended their game against the Chicago Hounds on the opposite end of a 23-19 loss underneath stormy skies at DRV Pink Stadium. Argentina legend Tomas Cubelli started at fly-half for José Pellicena’s team, with Sean McNulty scoring the team’s first ever try, and Uruguay international Felipe Etcheverry kicking the rest of their points.
Nola Gold set sights on play-offs
NOLA Gold are the only original MLR team to have not made the play-offs.
Always the bridesmaid and never the bride is the phrase that comes to mind when thinking of the Louisianans, who missed out on knockout rugby by one point in 2019 and two points in 2021.
A side that has largely prioritised the development of domestic talent, NOLA appointed former New Zealand U20 assistant coach Cory Brown as the man to take the Big Easy to the big time.
In the opening round of fixtures, NOLA had to come from behind against Old Glory DC to start 2024 in the best possible way.
Finishing 18-6, it was a game low on quality. However, the characteristics shown by the Gold after trailing for much of the match give a glimmer of hope that maybe it is their year at the sixth time of asking.
