MLR 2024: RFC Los Angeles vs New England Free Jacks

Two teams coming off a loss will collide at Dignity Health Stadium on Sunday, the second match of a double-header following the Pacific Four clash between Canada and the USA. Los Angeles find themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference and have lost two in a row, while the Free Jacks retain top spot in the East despite their disappointing showing against Seattle last week.

CURRENT STANDINGS

1-5-1 (L2) West 6th

5-2-0 (L1) East 1st

LINEUP CHANGES

6 Michael Amiras rotates with 20 Max Katjijeko
7 Matt Heaton replaces Theo Vukasinovic (injury, No5 vs Chicago)
9 Tas Smith rotates with 21 Niall Saunders
11 Jack Shaw replaces Rory van Vugt
13 James Stokes replaces Seth Purdey
15 Austin White replaces Sam Walsh
19 Ben Mitchell replaces Liam Antrobus
22 Jason Emery replaces Jack Shaw
23 Derek Adams replaces Austin White

1 Malakai Hala-Ngatai replaces Kyle Ciquera
3 John-Roy Jenkinson replaces Cole Keith
4 Kyle Baillie replaces Conor Keys
5 Jackson Thiebes rotates with Josh Larsen
7 Seta Baker replaces Piers von Dadelszen
8 Martin Sigren replaces Wian Conradie
11 Danyon Morgan-Puterangi replaces Paula Balekana
12 Le Roux Malan replaces Ben LeSage
17 Foster DeWitt replaces Malakai Hala-Ngatai
20 Cam Davidowicz replaces Seta Baker
22 Ben LeSage replaces Killian Coghlan
23 Zach Bastres replaces Danyon Morgan-Puterangi

CAPPED INTERNATIONALS

(7) – Young, O’Gorman, Heaton (Canada), Damm, Maughan (USA), Kunatani (Fiji), Katjijeko (Namibia)

(9) – Quattrin, Baillie, DeWitt, Larsen, LeSage (Canada), Sigren (Chile), Malan (Namibia), Wilson, Geiger (USA)

CLUB DEBUTS

(2) – Ben Mitchell, Derek Adams*

* – MLR debut

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Wilton Rebolo (TH), Theo Vukasinovic (LO), Jurie van Vuuren (LO/N8), Will Leonard (CE), Andrew Coe (WI), Rory van Vugt (FB)

– Wian Conradie (N8), John Poland (SH), Paula Balekana (WI)

NOTES

this will be the first meeting between the two sides since LA’s relocation from Atlanta… they were previously in the same conference… the ex-ATL franchise has lost the last five head-to-heads
Matt Heaton returns from a two-game absence to captain LA… Jason Damm starts at lock for the first time in his MLR career… Theo Vukasinovic drops out with a shoulder injury
Tas Smith steps in at scrumhalf with Niall Saunders left on the bench… the backline has lost Rory van Vugt this week but welcomes back James Stokes to the starting midfield and Jason Emery on the bench… Emery missed last week and Stokes has missed the last four games
LA has two new signings on the bench… USA Falcons lock Ben Mitchell joins his fourth MLR team… he played for Seattle last season and missed the first half of this year with commitments outside of rugby… Derek Adams could made his MLR debut as a replacement… the 27-year-old Belmont Shore winger has been a standout in Premier Rugby Sevens
Canadian internationals Conor Young and Reegan O’Gorman both played for the Free Jacks last season… Young spent one year in Boston and O’Gorman two
the Free Jacks feature former ATL prop John-Roy Jenkinson at No3… he returns from a four-game injury-enforced absence… Jenkinson is among MLR’s top scrummagers
New England have lost a second starter to a season-ending injury… Wian Conradie joins John Poland on the long-term casualty list after coming off late in the game against Seattle with a bad knee… Chile captain Martín Sigren will get the first chance to fill the vacancy at No8
Le Roux Malan is back in the Free Jacks midfield after a one-week rest… Malan will be up against his international teammate Max Katjijeko… both played for Namibia at the 2023 World Cup

PREDICTION

LA are struggling to find form right now and are coming off heavy defeats to Seattle and Chicago. Injuries have hampered their progress and it’s another somewhat makeshift roster this week. The Free Jacks are determined to bounce back from one of their worst showings of the past couple seasons and despite losing Conradie are closer to full strength. New England are clear favorites.

LINEUPS

RFC LOS ANGELES
1 Dane Zander, 2 Ben Strang, 3 Conor Young, 4 Jason Damm, 5 Reegan O’Gorman, 6 Michael Amiras, 7 Matt Heaton (capt.), 8 Semi Kunatani, 9 Tas Smith, 10 Matt Anticev, 11 Jack Shaw, 12 Dan Hollinshead, 13 James Stokes, 14 Brooklyn Hardaker, 15 Austin White

Replacements: 16 Bruce Kauika-Petersen, 17 Lincoln Si’i, 18 Alex Maughan, 19 Ben Mitchell, 20 Max Katjijeko, 21 Niall Saunders, 22 Jason Emery, 23 Derek Adams

NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS
1 Malakai Hala-Ngatai, 2 Andrew Quattrin, 3 John-Roy Jenkinson, 4 Kyle Baillie, 5 Jackson Thiebes, 6 Mitch Jacobson (capt.), 7 Seta Baker, 8 Martín Sigren, 9 Cam Nordli-Kelemeti, 10 Jayson Potroz, 11 Danyon Morgan-Puterangi, 12 Le Roux Malan, 13 Wayne van der Bank, 14 Mitch Wilson, 15 Reece MacDonald

Replacements: 16 Sean Ralph, 17 Foster DeWitt, 18 Kaleb Geiger, 19 Josh Larsen, 20 Cam Davidowicz, 21 Holden Yungert, 22 Ben LeSage, 23 Zach Bastres

MATCH INFO

Date: Sunday, April 28
Venue: Dignity Health Stadium, Carson
Kickoff: 15:30 local (18:30 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 73°F (23°C), wind SW 14-21mph (22-34km/h)
Broadcasts: Bally Sports SoCal, NBC Sports Boston, The Rugby Network