NEWS

Round Eight Preview

WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER DIEGEL FOR THE RUGBY NETWORK | Photo by Griff lacey

Week Seven was short a couple matches with four teams on bye, but long on drama; two teams got off the mat to steal victory in the waning moments. The East remains tight as ever, while another contender takes a shot at LA. Read on to take a look at this weekend’s action.

Houston Sabercats at NOLA Gold

Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET | Stream on The Rugby Network

NOLA is coming off a huge comeback win and is making something of a habit of late-game drama. Houston will be refreshed after its bye and hopes to get a few key players back from injury for this match.

What’s at Stake: New Orleans needs the win to keep pace at the top of the Eastern Conference. Houston wants to come out of its bye week firing and start to climb out of the lower half of the West.

Bold Prediction: NOLA’s slate of early-season home games is soon coming to end; the team can ill afford to let home field advantage slip away against Houston. The Gold follow script and earn the victory, 35-24.

Austin at New England 

Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET | Stream on The Rugby Network

Austin will return fresh from its bye week eager to get a few players back and healthy. New England had a long but pleasant week, flying coast to coast to defeat San Diego, and now is back home to host a tough Austin side.

What’s at Stake: The win was a big one for New England; it is right smack in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings. Austin remained in second place after its bye, but has Utah nipping at its heels for that second playoff spot out West.

Bold Prediction: The Gilgronis look fresh, focused, and return from the off week with the road victory, 24-17.

Rugby ATL at Toronto Arrows

Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET | Stream on The Rugby Network

Rugby ATL went into its bye in first place in the Eastern Conference and came out in 5th, embattled in a three-way tie with 16 points. Such is life in the East, where the standings are as tight as medium shorts on a prop. The Arrows had a chance to take control of the conference, only to falter late against NOLA Gold.

What’s at Stake: These teams are currently separated only by point differential, where Toronto holds a 33-point advantage. The winner could find itself at the top of the conference, the loser at the bottom depending on how things shake out across the rest of the league.

Bold Prediction: Full disclosure — I may not have predicted a Toronto game right all season. They zig, I zag. So if you’re putting money down, maybe take the opposite of who I take. The Arrows exact revenge from the Week 1 loss, 28-21.

Old Glory DC at Utah Warriors

Saturday at 10:00 p.m. ET | Watch on FS2

Old Glory returns some key backline players at a good time. Coming off a loss, Dylan Taikato-Simpson and Doug Fraser return to the squad. Utah is coming off of its bye, and looked explosive in its last action on its way to 50 points against Houston. Mikey Te’o accounted for an incredible five tries.

What’s at Stake: The East is tight, but Old Glory doesn’t want to get down by much more as we near the second half of the season. Utah can jump back into second in the west with a win and Austin loss.

Bold Prediction: Old Glory looked out of sorts in its cross country battle versus Los Angeles and now gets back on another flight to head west again. Fresh legs and home field prove too much for the boys from DC. 31-24 Utah.

LA Giltinis at Rugby United New York

Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET | Stream on The Rugby Network

A potential MLR Shield preview? This match pits the conference leaders against one another. New York is not satisfied, having added a new attack coach in Marty Bourke and legendary Argentinian flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamón. They’ll need all hands on deck to defeat what looks to be an unstoppable LA team.

What’s at Stake: LA puts its undefeated record on the road in what it could be its stiffest test yet. New York needs a win to stay on top of the East.

Bold Prediction: I think New York comes out punching, but it’s tough to pick against LA right now. 41-38 Giltinis.

San Diego at Seattle

Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET | Stream on The Rugby Network

Coming into the season, you’d have guessed this would be a Western Conference final preview. That has not been the case as the preseason contenders find themselves at the bottom of the table. San Diego is banged up, while Seattle has brought in a new coaching staff to try to right the ship.

What’s at Stake: These two proud franchises have created the league’s best rivalry to date. They might be out of contention, but you’ll be hard-pressed to realize it once the whistle blows.

Bold Prediction: Seattle looked the closest to its “Sea Wall” self as it has all season last week in the narrow loss to New York. It rides that momentum and home-field to a narrow victory, 21-17.