Heaton and Nolan to start against SaberCats
RFCLA have named Sean Nolan and Matt Heaton in the starting XV for this Saturday's away match against the in-form Houston SaberCats this Saturday at 5:00 PM at SaberCats Park.
Jason Damm returns to the run on side, this time in the 6 jersey, with Ed Timpson moving to the bench.
Hooker Ben Sugars will replace Michelangelo Sosene-Feagai, with Ben Strang remaining on the reserves.
On the bench, Will Leonard comes in as utility cover, with Tim Anstee also returning to the match day 23 as the sides lock and backrow replacement.
The team naming is a strong reflection of the alignment and growth of SoCal Rugby in the Community, with Belmont Shores’ flyhalf Sean Nolan getting the nod at flyhalf in what is the team’s biggest match this season.
With the RFCLA achieving a club breaking recording of three straight last weekend, the club will head to Houston chasing its fourth straight win, and second away win in three weeks.
David Dennis, RFCLA Senior Assistant and Forwards Coach, said this is the team’s biggest test in the Club’s history, with Houston toppling the undefeated SD Legion last weekend.
“Houston are arguably the form team in the competition at the moment.” Said Dennis.
“They have been very impressive in all aspects of the game, very physical and well coached.
“We know last week our discipline was substandard, and we need to get that in order, not just with the referees, but also in our team systems.
“We played Houston a month ago, and we start very well, but it’s a whole new challenge this weekend, and we want to go to Houston, and put in a performance our Rugby community is proud of.”
The match will be streamed live in LA on the FanDuel Sports Network, nationally on ESPN Plus and Internationally via The Rugby Network.
RFCLA Team to face Houston SaberCats, Saturday, April 5, 5 PM PST at SaberCats Stadium.
- Declan Leaney
- Ben Sugars
- Maliu Niuafe
- Lucas Burr
- Jurie Van Vuuren
- Jason Damm
- Matt Heaton
- Benjamin Houston
- Gonzalo Bertranou
- Sean Nolan
- Andrew Coe
- William Meakes
- Matias Jensen
- Christian Dyer
- Rory Van Vugt
- Benjamin Strang
- Alessandro Heaney
- Franco Van Den Berg
- Tim Anstee
- Edward Timpson
- Tasman Smith
- Will Leonard
- Reece Macdonald
Watch the match LIVE in LA, USA, and across the globe!
Local Broadcast - FanDuel Sports Network
FanDuel Sports Network SoCal is widely available on cable, satellite, and streaming providers in Southern California, Nevada, and Hawaii. For RFCLA fans in the region, options include Spectrum, Cox, U-Verse TV, DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Fubo. To locate a TV provider in your zip code that carries the network, go to GetMyHomeTeams.com.
National Broadcast Partner - ESPN+
ESPN+ is the national media rights partner for the MLR, bringing the highest level of professional rugby in the United States to ESPN platforms.
Global Broadcast Partner - The Rugby Network
The Rugby Network (TRN) is the official multi-device streaming platform of Major League Rugby, delivering a wide selection of live and on-demand rugby content around the world!
