MLR 2024: Dallas Jackals vs Old Glory DC

Postseason qualification could be on offer for both teams at Choctaw Stadium on Friday night. A win for the hosting Dallas Jackals or their guests Old Glory DC would all but certainly guarantee their place, and a draw or even bonus points could be enough pending the results of other games this weekend.

CURRENT STANDINGS

6-7-0 (W1) West 4th

5-6-2 (L1) East 4th

STARTING LINEUP CHANGES

1 Liam Murray replaces Joaquín Horcada
2 Tomás Bekerman replaces Dewald Kotze
5 Kyle Breytenbach replaces Makeen Alikhan (injury, No7 vs Chicago)
12 Tomás Cubilla replaces Connor Winchester

4 Rob Harley replaces Bill Whiteside
11 John Rizzo replaces Axel Müller
13 John Powers replaces Tommaso Boni
15 Damien Hoyland replaces Perry Humphreys

CAPPED INTERNATIONALS

(5) – Murray, Steeves, Richardson (Canada), Zeiss (Argentina), Golla (USA)

(9) – Iscaro, Fa’anana-Schultz, Daniel (USA), Gattas, Dotti (Uruguay), Harley, Hoyland (Scotland), Rowland, Bowd (Canada)

CLUB DEBUTS

(1) – Javon Camp

NOTABLE ABSENTEES

– Makeen Alikhan (FL), Vaughen Isaacs (FB)

– Martín Vaca (HO), Tommaso Boni (CE), Axel Müller (WI), Perry Humphreys (WI)

NOTES

in one respect this match-up is a matter of unfinished business… the two sides were forced to abandon their clash last season at halftime due to inclement weather
Dallas have received a boost with the return of club captain Sam Golla from ankle surgery, though he will work his way back into the lineup as a replacement
late changes to the Jackals lineup see Connor Winchester and Dewald Kotze dropping out… Mitch Richardson holds his place in the midfield with Joaquin Horcada covering hooker and Kieran Farmer taking the utility back reserve spot
it’s a first club start for Kyle Breytenbach, and fellow lock Javon Camp is set to make his Jackals debut as a replacement… Camp made his MLR debut with New England in 2022 and had a spell in Australia before packing down in the American Raptors scrum this year
Rob Harley returns a week early from suspension to partner Tevita Naqali in the Old Glory engine room… Ignacio Dotti stays on the bench with Bill Whiteside the odd man out
Damien Hoyland returns at fullback for DC but notably missing are wing duo Axel Müller and Perry Humphreys… Eagles center Tommaso Boni is also out
Cali Martinez returns to the DC bench as a loosehead prop reserve… he had been playing tighthead for most of the season but switches sides due to the return of tighthead specialist Tyler Rowland… Martinez played more loosehead than tighthead in 2023

PREDICTION

Hot temperatures await the players in Arlington which will put extra emphasis on the second half replacements. Dallas have six forwards to call on while DC have picked a conventional 5/3 bench. After last week’s impressive defensive stand against Chicago the Jackals will be confident of turning over an Old Glory side absent some key attacking players. Dallas are slight favorites at home.

LINEUPS

DALLAS JACKALS
1 Liam Murray, 2 Tomás Bekerman, 3 Juan Pablo Zeiss, 4 Lucas Bur, 5 Kyle Breytenbach, 6 Jerónimo Gómez Vara (capt.), 7 Ronan Foley, 8 Sam Tuifua, 9 Juan-Dee Oliver, 10 Martín Elías, 11 Nic Benn, 12 Tomás Cubilla, 13 Mitch Richardson, 14 Jason Tidwell, 15 Tomás Malanos

Replacements: 16 Connor Grindal, 17 Joaquín Horcada, 18 Kyle Steeves, 19 Javon Camp, 20 Daemon Torres, 21 Brock Gallagher, 22 Sam Golla, 23 Kieran Farmer

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jack Iscaro, 2 Facundo Gattas, 3 Steven Longwell, 4 Rob Harley, 5 Tevita Naqali, 6 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (capt.), 7 Cory Daniel, 8 Lautaro Bavaro, 9 Connor Buckley, 10 Jason Robertson, 11 John Rizzo, 12 William Talataina, 13 John Powers, 14 Ishmail Shabazz, 15 Damien Hoyland

Replacements: 16 KoiKoi Nelligan, 17 Cali Martinez, 18 Tyler Rowland, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Collin Grosse, 21 Ethan McVeigh, 22 Gradyn Bowd, 23 Palema Roberts

MATCH INFO

Date: Friday, June 14
Venue: Choctaw Stadium, Arlington
Kickoff: 19:30 local (17:30 Pacific, 20:30 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: sunny, 91°F (33°C), wind E 8-12mph (13-19km/h)
Broadcasts: Fox Sports 2, The Rugby Network