MLR TOTW - Round 11

April 10, 2019
2035
Ultimate Rugby

MLR TOTW - Round 11

Prolific Glendale Raptors wing John Ryberg added three more tries to his collection during his side’s 32-point comeback victory over the Houston SaberCats, earning the winger the Week 11 Player of the Week Award. The Seattle Seawolves secured the Week 11 Team of the Week Award after scoring 26 unanswered points to overcome a 12-point deficit away at the Utah Warriors.

The Raptors trailed 32-0 after 34 minutes at home against the SaberCats. Ryberg, the 5-foot-11, 235-lb wing, initiated his side’s comeback with a bruising 50-meter run to the line, stiff-arming two defenders to the ground in the process. Five minutes later, Ryberg collected a pass just inside the 22-meter line and was tackled to the ground. The relentless Raptor immediately regained his feet before breaking four tackles and dragging the fifth defender over the try-line, bringing the score to 14-32 at the break. The Raptors cashed in on the momentum in the second half, taking the lead for the first time after 66 minutes. It was Ryberg who sealed the Raptors’ comeback 75 minutes in, outstripping Houston’s despairing defense on another huge run, notching his hat-trick try while giving his team a lead they would not relinquish. Ryberg leads Major League Rugby with nine tries in the 2019 season, while the Raptors’ 52-44 win moved them to second place in the league.

The Seattle Seawolves are a second half team. For the fifth time this season, the defending champions battled from behind and escaped with a victory, this time defeating the Utah Warriors 48-36 in Zions Bank Stadium. The Warriors held a 22-17 lead at halftime, then added seven more points three minutes into the second period, Gannon O’Moore setting up Tim O’Malley for a try. The Seawolves responded with four unanswered tries, dominating possession while nullifying the Warrior offense. Seawolves’ star wing Brock Staller tallied a game-high 18 points with a try, five conversions and one penalty goal. Staller leads MLR with 106 points on the season. Bradley Tucker added two tries of his own, and set up Sequoyah Burke-Combs for the go-ahead try. With the win, the Seawolves sit fourth in the standings on 32 points.

MLR’s First XV of Week 11:

Loosehead Prop (No. 1), Franco Van Den Berg, Utah Warriors

Hooker (No. 2), Stephan Coetzee, Seattle Seawolves

Tighthead Prop (No. 3), Paddy Ryan, San Diego Legion

Lock (No. 4), Mike Sheppard, Toronto Arrows

Lock (No. 5), Brad Tucker, Seattle Seawolves

Blindside Flanker (No. 6), Psalm Wooching, San Diego Legion

Openside Flanker (No. 7), Lance Williams, Utah Warriors

No. 8, Lucas Rumball, Toronto Arrows

Scrum-half (No. 9), Nate Augspurger, San Diego Legion

Fly-half (No. 10), Sam Windsor, Houston SaberCats

Wing (No. 11), Ryan Matyas, San Diego Legion