Round 18 Recap

WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER DIEGEL FOR THE RUGBY NETWORK

The regular season finale did not disappoint with a number of entertaining games before we hit the playoff rounds. With the games in the books, check out the biggest storylines as we wrap up the 2021 MLR regular season.

The Utah Warriors Are Ready to Rumble

Utah faced the gauntlet of contenders, taking on the three other playoff teams in the final month of the season. The team did well, 2-1 in those battles. Perhaps most pivotal was the Saturday night win over the LA Giltinis, Utah’s opponent for the Western Conference crown.

Until that 34-29 loss LA had gone undefeated against the West and seemed a safe bet to play in the Finals. There will surely be adjustments on both sides (Matt Giteau was not playing for LA) but will the increased confidence for Utah pay dividends in Round Three?

Rugby ATL Will Look for the Last Laugh

When Rugby United New York secured bonus points in its loss to New Orleans it set up Round Three versus Rugby ATL. New York has been the antidote to the “rattlers” venom all season with a perfect 2-0 record against the East’s one-seed.

Atlanta has been the more consistent team throughout the season and has the chance to exorcise some demons at home against its tormentors on Saturday night. Does New York truly have Atlanta’s number? Or will the third time be the charm for Rugby ATL?

Old Glory and Seattle Finish Strong...

Coming into the season Old Gory DC and the Seattle Seawolves had to be considered contenders for the MLR Crown; Seattle on virtue of being the league’s two-time and only champion, Old Glory based off its 4-1 record in the abbreviated 2020 season. Things did not quite work out that way as both finished second from the bottom in their respective conference standings.

Both however can hang their hats on 2-0 finishes to their seasons, with a perfect 10 league points secured in those final matches. For Seattle in particular it’s been a boon, with 10 of its 26 league points on the season coming in the final two matches.

Old Glory meanwhile rediscovered its offensive flair from 2020 by hanging 67 points on its final two opponents. Could these be signs of returns to forms for these two teams in 2022?

… Houston Does Not

It’s back to the drawing board for the Houston Sabercats. Things looked up for Houston early in the season with a 2-2 mark, including two wins over the West’s historic best, Seattle and San Diego. Things quickly plummeted from there as the Sabercats finished the season on a 12-game losing streak.

This team is not without talent or firepower; it seemed to fire its best shots against LA and Utah when it put up 76 combined points in the two losses before the wheels fell off completely. Houston will go in a new direction yet again in 2022 as it announced at midseason that coach Paul Healy will not be back.

The 2021 season saw two historic bottom feeders in Utah and Austin emerge as contenders with their first winning seasons in the franchises’ respective histories. Time will tell if Houston can figure something out and write a similar story next season.

The East Will Be A (Glorious) Mess Again

When the New England Free Jacks and NOLA Gold won their final games of the season they did more than end their seasons on a high note, despite missing the playoffs. The wins ensure that four(!) of the six teams in the conference won ten or more games, along with playoff-bound Rugby ATL and Rugby United New York.

The bottom two teams (Old Glory and Toronto) were the top two teams in the conference through five games in 2020. Both teams seem a safe bet to return the majority of their firepower, while the Arrows will presumably move back to Toronto, back home with friends, family, and a familiar environment.

It was a wild season in the Eastern Conference that saw teams jump or drop multiple positions with a single result. There’s no reason to expect anything different in 2022.