Utah Locks in #1 Seed, Top in MLR, for Historic First Home Playoff Spot

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MLR Utah Warriors

Utah Locks in #1 Seed, Top in MLR, for Historic First Home Playoff Spot

June 10, 2025 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
Utah Warriors News Release


Everything you need to know about the Utah Warriors 16-game regular season was on full display in Saturday's hard-fought 48-33 win over visiting RFC Los Angeles.

The game featured a tremendous start, some adversity toward the end, but with the Warriors gutting it out to come out on top. Not only did Utah come out on top of LA with the win, but came out on top of the entire Major League Rugby competition with the 5 points earned on Saturday, giving it a league-leading 58 points entering the postseason.

"It's a great reflection of the work that's gone on," said Warriors Coach Greg Cooper after the match. "We're not getting ahead of ourselves because we're now in the postseason, but this is a reflection of all the work that has gone on since July of last year, and obviously throughout the season."

As mentioned, the Warriors got off to a very quick start, scoring the game's first three tries to lead 21-0 at the first water break 20 minutes into the match.

Leading off the scoring was Joey Mano courtesy of an impressive off-load from Joel Hodgson in the eighth minute. Liam Coltman then dotted it down in the 15th minute off of a successful maul before Jordan Trainor made an impressive run into the try zone up the middle of the pitch just three minutes later for the commanding early lead.

‚¬Â "We had a great week and we were well-prepared," Cooper said. "There were a few injuries out there again that sort of slowed our process...and we knew that (LA) was going to come at us, and we knew that was their ability."

LA didn't go quietly, scoring the next two tries to cut the lead to 21-12 before Coltman scored an almost identical try as his first of the night in the 32nd minute to extend the lead to 28-12. Then it was Hodgson, dotting the ball down in the try zone in the 39th minute, giving Utah a big 35-12 lead at the break.

Utah's next try didn't come until the 81st minute, however, when Spencer Jones picked off an off-load to dot it down for the final score. But two penalty kicks put through by Hodgson in the 44th minute, and by D'Angelo Leuila in the 74th proved crucial in staving off hard-charging Los Angeles.

‚¬Â As for Leuila's kick, it was attempted just a few meters shy of midfield, although the native New Zealander took it in stride.

"It's kind of a second-nature thing and it's something we practice all week," Leuila said. "There was no pressure. I've done it so many times in my rugby career that it just came second-nature to me."

The kick extended Utah's lead to 41-26, and pretty much put the game on ice with the margin larger than 14 points.

‚¬Â "It was a crucial kick, and it probably gave us the match. It gave us a little breathing room," Cooper said.

‚¬Â The breathing room was much needed for a Utah team that incurred its share of injuries throughout the second half of the match. Key players, such as Gavin Thornbury, Nic Benn, Mano and Hodgson all had to leave the game due to injury, with only Hodgson and Benn able to return.

‚¬Â "Injuries are always a concern, but we'll just have to deal with it," Cooper said. "It was always going to be hard to balance energy at this time of the year, but I think we've balanced it well with all the injuries."

‚¬Â Fortunately Utah again proved to have the personnel necessary to overcome key players leaving the game.

‚¬Â "We have a lot of people on this team that can play different positions," Leuila said. "For us it's easy to come in and (adjust)...to the job that is asked of us."

‚¬Â Through it all, Utah endured, much like it has all season long, and left the field as the top team in the MLR, giving it home field advantage throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs.

‚¬Â "It hasn't been an easy season," Leuila said. "There's been ups and downs, but at the end the boys came together tonight and got that win. It feels great."



Major League Rugby Stories from June 10, 2025


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