Week 2 Preview: at Utah Warriors

News Mar-7-2024

Week 2 Preview: at Utah Warriors

Sam Harris Makes Two Changes to Starting 15

Paddy Ryan Set for First Appearance of 2024

Julian Dominguez Back on the Left Wing

CHICAGO, IL- The Hounds hit the road for the second consecutive week of 2024 Major League Rugby action. Chicago’s professional rugby franchise will be seeking its second win of the new campaign on Saturday afternoon against the Utah Warriors. Kickoff is slated for 3 PM CT from Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.

Forwards:

The front row sees the lone change in the starting forward pack from Week 1’s win. Zurabi Zhvania and Dylan Fawsitt retain their spots. During the season opener, Fawsitt showed a vast improvement in the Hounds’ lineout compared to the 2023 season. Expect for that to continue against the Warriors on Saturday.

Paddy Ryan makes his first appearance of the new year, starting at tighthead prop. The veteran made eight starts last season and adds another 54 caps of experience to the team sheet. Guillermo Pujadas and Fred Apulu seek to provide relief off the bench for the second consecutive week. Tighthead prop Ignacio Peculo moves to the reserves after starting in the win over the Miami Sharks last week.

The lock duo of James Scott and George Merrick remains unchanged since last week. The pair are both set to earn their second MLR caps after strong performances against the Sharks. Brad Tucker could make his Hounds debut off of the bench. After rehabbing a minor injury throughout training camp, the MLR veteran takes control of the No. 19 shirt. Mike Matarazzo slides off the roster.

Similarly to the second row, the back row doesn’t have any changes. Mason Flesch, coming off a MLR First XV selection, will man the blindside flanker position. The openside flanker spot is occupied by fellow capped-Canadian international Lucas Rumball. Vice-Captain Luke White will earn his 67th MLR cap against the Warriors from the No. 8 shirt.

Conall Boomer is another player that can make his Hounds debut from the bench. Similarly to Tucker, the Irish back row player spent training camp rehabbing a minor injury. He got the green light and the coaches are expecting a big impact from the up-and-coming prospect when he enters the game.

Backs:

Scrumhalf Nick McCarthy and flyhalf Billy Meakes will look to control the tempo of the game from the pivot positions for the second week in a row.

Meakes, the captain, showed flashes during his first start at flyhalf. As he gets more acclimated to the position, those flashes should happen more frequently. Jason Higgins is named to the bench once more after logging 21 minutes of relief duty last week. Luke Carty is seeking his first action of the season from the bench.

The midfield remains unchanged since the opener. Bryce Campbell and Mark O’Keeffe will suit up in the centers after a relatively workman-like Week 1. It was pouring rain for the majority of the opener, so more offensive output is to be expected from the pair with better conditions.

Left wing Julian Dominguez is set to make his first start of the new season. The star wing appeared off the bench in the season opener, clocking 31 minutes of duty. He was limited to only one carry, but managed to beat a defender and gain 13 meters with ball in hand. Dominguez has a history of dominating the Warriors and the Hounds’ faithful are hoping this weekend is much of the same story.

The Hounds’ right wing is occupied by another star in Nate Augspurger, the 2023 MLR Back of the Year. The veteran played all 80 minutes in the season opener but similarly to the rest of the backs, the wet conditions limited the wing’s playmaking abilities. He logged four carries for 28 meters (7 meters-per-carry) and beat one defender.

Adriaan Carelse starts at fullback for the second week in a row after an impressive Hounds’ debut in Week 1. The South African playmaker hit all three of his penalty attempts, adding nine points to the stat sheet, and carried the ball three times for 28 meters (9.3 MPC). Carelse will handle the kicking duties for the Hounds again this week.

While it won’t be down pouring during Week 2’s contest against the Warriors, it will be pretty cold. As of this writing, the low for Saturday in Herriman is 24 degrees Fahrenheit and the high is 48 degrees. The game kicks off at 3 PM CT; fans in-market can watch on Marquee Plus. International fans, and fans out-of-market, can stream live on the Rugby Network.

During Week 1, the Warriors fell to the Houston Sabercats at Sabercats Stadium in Houston, 22-15. Utah lock Frank Lochore earned Week 1 First XV honors for his performance in the loss, recording 14 carries for 80 meters and completing nine of his 11 tackle attempts. Fullback Caleb Makene is another player the Hounds will need to keep track of on Saturday. The veteran posted 80 meters on eight carries in Week 1 and beat two defenders in the process.

The History:

As it currently stands, this matchup might be the closest thing to an organic rivalry that the Chicago Hounds have. There’s only been two matchups between the clubs, but the score lines have always been close and the games always had a little extra meaning.

The pair first met in Week 3 of 2023, the first home game in Chicago history. Utah spoiled it with a 14-10 win. The Dawgs returned the favor in Week 17, winning 26-24 and eliminating Utah from playoff contention.

March 5, 2023 at SeatGeek Stadium: 14-10, Warriors win
June 10, 2023 at Zions Bank Stadium: 26-24, Hounds win

Numbers Around the Roster:

In terms of Major League Rugby appearances, this is the most experienced roster in the club’s history. The game day 23 has 754 combined caps of MLR experience, averaging over 32 caps per player. The 754 combined caps is a record for the Hounds, breaking the previous record of 750 set last week in the season opener.
Julian Dominguez’s inclusion in the starting XV should excite any Hounds fans that remember Week 17’s matchup from last season. The star left wing exploded for three tries, including the game-tying score as time expired. It is the only hat-trick in Chicago Hounds history.