MLR Season Preview – Glendale Raptors

It’s hard to believe but Major League Rugby is now just days away. By the end of the week six teams will have started their 2018 campaign but even Utah won’t be completely left out as they serve up an appetizer against the Prairie Wolf Pack on Friday evening.

Throughout the week we’ll be giving you an overview of each team heading into the inaugural season. First on the docket is the Glendale Raptors, a team that needs no introduction to American rugby fans having been at the forefront of the domestic scene since their founding in 2007.

Glendale have a jump on the competition after turning professional in 2017, opting to play a series of friendlies instead of participating in Division 1 club rugby. Their amateur arm has now been re-branded the Merlins with their senior MLR side taking exclusive ownership of the Raptors label.

STRENGTHS

Other teams might have played more games in 2018 but no team is as cohesive. The core of the squad has been together for years and even some of the newer members are already familiar with the bulk of the side through representative rugby.

As such there aren’t many spots that aren’t exceptional. The scrum will be up there among the best and there is strength in depth almost across the board. Adding quality players like Dylan Fawsitt and Sam Figg at the last minute is just rubbing it in.

A major source of dominance will come from their halfback and midfield partnerships. Shaun Davies and Will Magie are established Eagles and the best 9-10 combo in the competition. They will control tempo and field position with Magie able to pick the corners and put points on the board with his reliable boot.

Almost as impressive is the midfield where Bryce Campbell and Chad London are a formidable pair. Both are strong runners who can punch holes but can also move the ball either in or before contact. On the defense side they are rock solid. Behind them are former USA rep Ata Malifa and the up-and-coming Mika Kruse so there should be no concerns if either miss action.

QUESTIONS

If there is a weakness it’s only in terms of backup. There are three genuine second rows in the squad with one of them being 19-year-old Max Dacey. While he should feature prominently for the national u20 squad later this year, it would be nice to have another senior lock available just in case. As it stands it looks as though Georgian loose forward Grigor Kerdikoshvili will step in if required.

There is no such shortage of quality in the back row with options at each position and a decent mix of breakdown skills, lineout height, and link play. There is perhaps a limited number of truly dominant ball carriers, however, with only Brian Wanless fitting the bill as someone who might prefer to trample than swerve. Fawsitt and incumbent hooker Zach Fenoglio will help fill that role.

Halfback depth is a little concerning with Jake Christmann untested at this level and no bona fide specialist behind Magie. There is experience in the form of Malifa and Max de Achaval, while Kruse has also played 10, but an out-and-out reserve flyhalf might be more comforting.

The outside backs are a little short on star names compared to the rest of the squad but they are competitive and won’t let the team down. Harley Davidson has emerged in the preseason as someone who can cause problems with his speed while John Ryberg is a rhino with wheels on the left wing.

HOME FIELD

There are some quality venues in the league this year but none will have the ‘fortress’ feel that Infinity Park does. Its capacity of 5,000 is about average but what makes it truly formidable is the familiarity for the Raptors players. They know every blade of grass and train at the complex every day. When you come to Glendale, you are truly stepping into their house.

HEAD COACH

Born in England but an international in both XVs and 7s for the USA, Dave Williams is well known to the American rugby populace. He’s also been a strength and conditioning coach for the US national program and if there’s one thing Glendale won’t lack it’s fitness. The 39-year-old was a scrumhalf in his playing days and knows the game as well as any. His right-hand man is Kieran Browner, who deals with the forwards, while former Eagles lock Luke Gross is also on staff.

CAPTAIN

You don’t get much in the way of x-factor from Shaun Davies but what you do get is consistency. Game in, game out, his service is quick and accurate. The 28-year-old from Durban, South Africa, is now a naturalized American with 15 test caps to his name. Davies rarely makes mistakes and almost never allows his team to take the ball on the back foot.

KEY PLAYERS

After a year spent chasing the NFL dream Ben Landry is back in rugby and Eagles fans couldn’t be happier. He’s not quite first choice at international level but he’s not far off. Opponents who can match his size and power are few and far between. Landry is virtually guaranteed to win the collisions either hammering over the gainline or stopping ball carriers dead in their tracks.

John Quill is one of those players that you absolutely hate playing against. A nuisance at the breakdown and he just seems to pop up in all the right places. It’s not uncommon to find him loitering on the wing but just as likely he runs a hard line straight up the middle, as he did against Utah. The 2015 World Cup veteran is still in the mix for the Eagles and with RWC 2019 spots up for grabs, now is his chance to remind selectors of his quality.

The understated outside backs are led by veteran fullback Maximo de Achaval. USA-born but raised in Argentina, the soon-to-be 33-year-old has been playing at the highest levels of American rugby for more than a decade. His fundamentals – kicking, passing, and awareness of space – are all top drawer and while never the fastest player he can still step and sneak through a gap when it appears.

ONE TO WATCH

Surely the breakthrough player of the MLR preseason is Mika Kruse. At only 19 years old he should be a star with the national u20 side after what he’s shown at senior level. He scored in all three warm-up games for the Raptors with his outside break catching opponents off-guard. Defensively Kruse has some work to do but he is an exciting prospect who can play flyhalf or either midfield spot.

OUTLOOK

Don’t trust any so-called pundit who doesn’t have the Raptors ranked #1 heading into the season. It’s not just hype, this team is simply the best prepared in terms of professionalism from top to bottom. Expect them to saunter into the Semi Finals and if any team is a lock for the Final, it’s Glendale. A clean sweep isn’t out of the question. Our pre-season favorites by a distance.