Geico XV: Week 18

Published on July 20, 2021 under Major League Rugby (MLR) News Release

Loosehead Prop,  Chance Wenglewski - Rugby ATL

Wenglewski put in a long shift at scrum time giving Atlanta an edge in the set piece.  In open play he made seven carries for 30 meters.  On defense he completed 12 tackles and had 26 ruck arrivals in the breakdown.

Hooker, Sama Malolo - Utah Warriors

Helped establish a dominant set-piece against LA with both his scrummaging and his lineout throws.  The driving maul when the Warriors got in range yielded both of Malolo's tries.  On attack he made 12 carries for 17 meters, three tackle breaks, and two offloads.  On defense he completed five tackles and had seven ruck arrivals in the breakdown. 

Tighthead Prop, Samu Tawake - Rugby United New York

Tawake provided strong opposition to the newly returned internationals from NOLA in the set-piece.  He was fed the ball off a quick and bulldozed over the goal line for a try.  On attack he made seven carries for 37 meters.  On defense he completed 8 tackles and had 10 ruck arrivals in the breakdown.

Left Lock, Victor Comptat - Seattle Seawolves

Comptat continues to shine in the limited opportunities he has had this season.  Putting on a punishing performance against the SaberCats on attack scoring a try from seven carries for 49 meters, two tackle breaks, and an offload.  On defense he completed 10 tackles and had 21 ruck arrivals in the breakdown.  In the aerial game he came down with five lineout takes and two lineout steals.

Right Lock, Aston Fortuin - Utah Warriors

Fortuin was a weapon in the set-piece for the Warriors, he came down with five lineout takes, a lineout steal and disrupted several other Giltini lineout attempts.  On attack he scored a try from five carries for 29 meters.  On defense he completed four tackles and had 14 ruck arrivals.

Blindside Flanker, Dom Akina - Austin Gilgronis

Akina almost single handedly kept Austin in the match against Old Glory DC.  On attack he scored a try from eight carries for a whopping 206 meters, four line breaks, four tackle breaks, and an offload.  On defense he completed three tackles and had eight ruck arrivals in the breakdown. In the aerial game he came down with 3 lineout takes and a  lineout steal.

Openside Flanker, Joe Johnston - New England Free Jacks

Johnston is one of those players that can turn his workrate into high gear as he loves collision, against Atlanta he made 10 tackles and completed a breakdown steal and had 54 ruck arrivals in the breakdown.  On attack he made nine carries for 47 meters, a tackle break, and two offloads.

No 8., Moni Tongauiha - NOLA Gold

Moni was very physical against New York and scored the try that reset the Gold which turned them around.  On attack he made six carries for 32 meters.  On defense he completed nine tackles and had 18 ruck arrivals.

Scrum-half, Cristian Rodriguez - Los Angeles Giltinis

On attack Rodriguez made a huge dummy to trick Michael Baska which opened the hole for him to score a try.  He marshalled the Giltini forwards around the park pushing quick ball out of the ruck to keep the defense on edge.  On attack he made three carries for 14 meters and a tackle break.    On defense he completed five tackles. 

Fly-half, Jason Robertson - Old Glory DC

Robertson was played to win his final MLR match, scoring seven points from the tee and adding another five with a try.  He made 6 carries for 97 meters, four tackle breaks, and 3 offloads on attack.  On defense he completed seven tackles.  In the territory battle he skillfully made 11 kicks for 353 meters.

Left Wing,  Adam Channel - Los Angeles Giltinis

The late signing from the Giltinis Academy showed plenty against the Warriors finding almost every hole in the Utah defense on scoring two tries from nine carries for 95 meters.  He also showed a bit of skill with two kicks in play for 66 meters.

Inside Center, Ryan Nell - Rugby ATL

Nell led his team out from the poor first half and went to work on chipping down New England's lead. On attack he scored a try from nine carries for 59 meters, a line break, five tackle breaks, and three offloads.  On defense completed seven tackles and completed a breakdown steal and had 12 ruck arrivals in the breakdown.

Outside Center, Renata Roberts-Tenana - Old Glory DC

Roberts-Tenana just did what he had done all season, this time against Austin, tearing up the opposing defense.  On attack he made eight carries for 132 meters, a line break, a tackle break, and two offloads. In the breakdown he had eight ruck arrivals. 

Right Wing, Tuidraki Samusamuvodre - New England Free Jacks

Not everything is perfect, but Tuidraki's try to end the first half for New England ended up being all the difference as the Free Jacks knocked down Atlanta.  On attack he made five carries for 34 meters and an offload. On defense he completed three tackles and had five ruck arrivals in the breakdown.

Fullback, Mike Te'o - Utah Warriors

Te'o made it impossible for LA to play territory with his on the ground exits or his ability to return with four kicks for 120 meters.  Late in the second half he had to marshall the Utah attack when Fraser Hurst received a red card. On attack he scored a try from 12 carries for 125 meters, a line break, and two offloads.

Written by Aaron Castro

Major League Rugby Stories from July 20, 2021

• Gold Head Home After a Season-Ending Match against New York - NOLA Gold
• Geico XV: Week 18 - MLR

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