April 12, 2023.  The Free Jacks are sitting pretty atop the Eastern Conference as we approach the half way mark of the season. The team enjoys a five point advantage over the New York Ironworkers in the standings, with a further game advantage over the NOLA, Old Glory and ATL entrants, who are bunched together in a tight cluster in the middle of the table.

The Free Jacks took care of the Chicago Hounds in Quincy on Saturday, but not before the Hounds, like Dallas a week earlier, made things interesting as the game progressed.

We caught up with outhalf Reece MacDonald as he was signing autographs for some young fans after the game and asked how the team was able to close out the game.

“We spoke at half time about being really disciplined in our own 22 and in our own half and we have really worked a lot in the last couple of weeks on our maul defense and that really showed today….is it all intent and the boys really brought that today”.

The Free Jacks travel to Toronto on the 15^th, the first of a half dozen games against in-conference opponents before a tough couple of game to close out the season against Seattle and Houston.

So I have no idea what to expect when the Free Jacks travel to New Orleans to take on the NOLA Gold in the season opener on Friday Feb 17, 2023. So I asked ChatGPT for some help in the game and in the season and this is the response I got. Probably as good as anything I would have come up with, though at least I would have gotten the number of teams right!

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The Major League Rugby (MLR) 2023 season is expected to bring even more excitement and growth to the professional rugby scene in North America. Here are a few things to expect in the upcoming season:

Expansion: The MLR is set to expand to 16 teams in 2023, up from 12 teams in the 2022 season. The four new teams include the Hawaii MLR franchise, Los Angeles Giltinis, Dallas Jackals, and the Atlanta Rhinos. This expansion is expected to bring more attention to the league and create more opportunities for players.

Competition: With the league expanding, the competition is expected to be even more fierce in the upcoming season. The defending champions, the LA Giltinis, will face strong competition from other teams, including the Seattle Seawolves, Rugby United New York, and the San Diego Legion.

International Players: The MLR has attracted an increasing number of international players, and this trend is expected to continue in the 2023 season. Players from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and other rugby-playing nations are likely to join MLR teams, which will bring a higher level of skill and experience to the league.

Fanbase: The MLR has been gaining a larger fan base each season, and this growth is expected to continue in the upcoming season. With more teams in more cities, the league will have a larger presence across North America, which will help to build more local fan bases.

Overall, the 2023 MLR season is expected to be an exciting and competitive season that will continue to build the popularity and growth of professional rugby in North America.

As an AI language model, I do not have access to up-to-date information about the current form or rosters of the New England Free Jacks and The New Orleans Gold, and therefore I cannot make a reliable prediction on the outcome of their upcoming match.

The outcome of any game can be influenced by many variables, including the current form of the teams, individual player performances, injuries, and other unforeseen circumstances.

I recommend following the news and updates leading up to the game, and then watching the match to see which team comes out on top.

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Chile to RWC2023, USA to repechage.

Having fallen to Uruguay and now Chile, the Eagles must navigate a round robin tournament in November against Kenya, Portugal and either Tonga or Hong Kong (so, likely Hong Kong).

This is unlikely to be what many observers thought a few months back, but that is where we find ourselves now. And it surely is not where we thought was going to be the case after thirty minutes of the second leg of the Chile series, with the Eagles 19 points clear at home. Or even midway through the second half with a twelve point lead.

Alex Goff has some thoughts on how we got here, and those can be found here:

https://www.goffrugbyreport.com/news/are-eagles-crisis

Discipline and fitness are obvious scapegoats. In control, up 19 points, the Eagles conceded a yellow card and gave up two tries to close out the first half which made it a game again. Is it harsh to say the Eagles seemed a little sluggish at times? Or maybe we shouldn’t be wearing dark shirts a 1PM in July.

Or are the defensive tactics appropriate?

In one telling sequence, Chile scored near the end of the first half despite being on the wrong end of a 5-3 personnel matchup.  Winger Christian Dyer bites inside to make the tackle on the ball carrier (who admittedly manages to get a sweet offload off to the supporting player), and Hanco Germishuys is forced to try to make the outside tackle, which he is unable to do. Full back Marcel Brache was out of position, as he had to assist in the previous breakdown to stop rampaging props, so the rear cover was stretched. See the sequence at the link below, starting about the 5.30 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ro0CF83FWc

Having a conversation with myself while waiting for the Free Jacks to lock up the top seed in the east.

Glass Full: “Won’t it be awesome if World Rugby awards the USA the 2031 and 2033 World Cups?”

Hell no: “What, are you serious?”

GF: “Yeah, we should have the decision tomorrow. The US is the only remaining host to be considered in the running, so unless some other countries or group of countries object, it might be ours.”

HN: “I have objections!”

GF: “I have answers, what is your problem?”

HN: “First of all, we don’t have the money to pull off staging something like that, it would cost millions, maybe $500 million!   and by the way, do you know that USA Rugby was bankrupt? It lost money on the Wales v South Africa  game a couple of years ago, right?”

GF: “No problem, world rugby is going to run it as a partnership so they might even front a lot of the organizational resources and cash.”

HN: “OK, where would it be played? At the high school in New Jersey where Rugby New York plays?”

GF: “There are a couple of dozen cities that have signed a letter of interest, including Boston, New York, LA, Miami, Birmingham…..”

HN: “OK, but where in those cities? Presumably it must be played on grass, right, not turf?”

GF: “Most modern stadiums can swap out turf for grass pretty easily, using giant trays. And they can widen the field as well, so NFL stadia would be possible.”

HN: “You are insane…this will be played in the fall, right?  In NFL stadia? Or college stadia? Will they have football lines?  How will they schedule around the NFL or College football games? Especially since the rugby tournament generally plays out over six or more weeks.”

GF: “I’m sure it will be possible. MLS locations are in the mix also.”

HN: “Well, that might make more sense. Smaller locations, more might have grass surfaces. You don’t want to be in the Coliseum where it looks like there are 12 people in the stands, even if there is a significant crowd. Gilette looks empty even when there are 25,000 people there. Speaking of crowds, where are they going to come from?”

GF: “well, ballpark numbers, Japan 2019 and France 2023 have some 300,000 international visitors and expect to sell something like three million tickets in total.”

HN: “That’s a lot of potential revenue, I can understand why cities are looking to grab a piece of that pie, especially post Covid. But wait, you said it would cost 500 million to stage the tournament, if you were to try to make that back on ticket sales alone, that would be a ticket cost of $166 per ticket. Yeah, I know there would be TV rights and various other sources of revenue, but that would be a very difficult sell to get people in seats at those prices.”

GF: “As you said yourself, it would not be purely ticket revenue dependent, there are other sources, TV rights probably being the biggest one.”

HN: “Would you get still get 300,000 international visitors, especially with the 2028 Olympics being in LA and the 2026 Soccer World Cup being in the US (and Canada and Mexico). Too much going to the well for the well-heeled international sports fan?”

GF: ”Possible, I guess.”

 HN: “The games would have to be on at attractive times for the TV rights be worth a lot to England, France, etc., right? So, a 1PM East coast kickoff would fit nicely for Europe as that would be a 6PM or 7PM start. And that would mean a very early game time in Australia and New Zealand, but that might not be too bad. A 1PM West coast might be ok for Europe and also for the folks down under.”

GF: “see, you are getting on board…..”

HN: “Not yet. The US is an expensive media market. I know, soccer made it work in 1994, and the MLS hadn’t even started, but there were a lot more casual soccer players in the US before that tournament. Lots of central Americans who were passionate about the game too, you wouldn’t have much of that for rugby.

And the media marketplace has fragmented with lots of distractions. It will be a heavy lift to get anyone other than the media partners to get much traction. They will be content to promote some cornhole tournament instead of “football without pads”. And all sport radio want to talk about is NFL, baseball, NFL draft, basketball, NFL rosters, maybe some hockey, NFL coaching, Tom Brady. Nothing else.

I saw that the Denver Post had an announcement on the impending decision. And it accompanied the story with a picture…from a Sevens game. Ouch.”

GF: “I am getting tired of this. Any other negativity to share?”

HN: “Sure thing, I am just getting started.”

GF: “Well, simmer down buddy, it is looking like a done deal, better clear out the spare room for your guests.”

Upcoming Rugby World Cups (Post # 1)

I have been ignoring the decision as to where the Rugby World Cup 2029 (women’s) and 2031 (men’s) will be played, but I don’t think I can ignore it any longer. On May 12, World Rugby is having a conference call to discuss the 2029 and 2031 decision, along with the decision on the 2027 (men’s) and 2025 (women’s) cups.

Apparently, Australia is the front runner for the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup. Or, as it is called officially, the Rugby World Cup 2027, since the gender designation has been removed. And England is the front runner for the Rugby World Cup 2025 (yeah, the Women’s version).

2025 in England makes sense for the women. England has developed into a juggernaut recently, drawing record breaking crowds in the TikTok 6Nations, and putting an increasing professional product on the field. The 2021 Cup, delayed by the pandemic, will be played in New Zealand this October and November.

Australia as host in 2027 would be a return to the Southern Hemisphere for the men, as the Aussies successfully hosted in 2003. It would be a boost for the Australians, where the Union code seems to run some distance between League and Aussie Rules and a host of other competitors.

Furthermore, if the social media postings are to be believed, the USA is now the front runner for the 2031 and 2033 Cups. (as Australia might take the 2029 tournament after all. )

Tomorrow, Post # 2 will discuss why having the 2031 Men’s Cup in the USA will be an fantastic (or horrendous) decision.

No major surprises in the forwards for the upcoming clash against New York for Sunday’s game. Joe Johnston and Cam Davidowicz provide the back row cover, while Jesse Parete, Slade McDowall and Wian Conradie get the starting nods.

Things are a bit more in flux in the backs. Harrison Boyle takes over at full back, looks like Dougie Fife has not recovered from injury sustained in the last game. Suddenly the Free Jacks look thin in the backs due to injuries. Recent signing Isaac Olsen is named on the bench. He may have a lot of positions to cover, as Holden Yungert is the only other back sub listed. Unless, wearing the # 23 shirt, usually occupied by backs, Cam Davidowicz is gearing up for a run in the open field against New York’s mammoth outside backs?

New York will need a win to get back on track after being demolished in LA last weekend, while a win for New England would put valuable daylight between the teams.

March 28, 2022

Face it, would you have kicked the points? To recap, you are on the road, down by six points with about twenty minutes to go. You have weathered the storm, so to speak, and are in a decent position against one of the top teams in the league. Knocking over the three points would put you within one score of tying or going ahead. And you get the ball back from the kickoff.

Not taking the points might have appeared a mistake just minutes later, as running the ball failed to get you over the try-line.  Then, to make matters worse, you suffer a yellow card so you have to play most of the rest of the game shorthanded, as Jesse Parete was deemed guilty of a professional foul by interfering with the ATL scrumhalf who was trying to clear from a ruck.

So who would have predicted the final ten minutes, where the Free Jacks poured on the pressure, crossing for two tries and a total of seventeen points against the fading ATL defense? The Free Jacks have had a history of allowing teams to sneak a consolation score near the end of games, giving them a valuable bonus point, but that would not happen today. Although rather than occurring at the end of the game, it did happen at the end of the first half, when the Free Jacks failed to find touch and Rugby ATL was able to get in for a try, but who wants to quibble about that when the local team is in first place atop the Eastern Conference standings with a solid 6-1 record?

March 23, 2022

It may have been somewhat of a head-scratching starting roster to some, but the Free Jacks delivered on Saturday, winning 25-17 to hand the Austin team a second consecutive defeat.

Whatever the theory behind the starting lineup, it did its job, taking a slender 18-7 lead into halftime and withstanding the physical onslaught in the second half to secure the win. The Free Jacks could have had more points in the first half, but a misfiring lineout cost the team some opportunities to press their numerical advantages, Austin having suffered two yellow cards in the first half.

Special mention must be made of Kyle Ciquera, not in the game day 23 the previous week, who made the most of his start against Austin. He ended up having to put in almost the full 80 minutes, having to come back on as an injury replacement soon after being substituted, but he seemed to be enjoying himself, even pulling off a nifty offload deep into the game to keep an attack alive and help preserve the win.

Ciquera was ably assisted by his teammates, who combined to notch up yet another huge tackle count in keeping the locals at bay in a torrid second half.

Another huge clash awaits the Free Jacks on the road this weekend in Atlanta, where Rugby ATL awaits. Both teams are on 5-1 records (along with Rugby New York, who entertain Toronto Arrows on Sunday), though Rugby ATL has a two point advantage due to scoring more bonus points. 3PM is the listed kickoff time.

It certainly was not a spectacle of running rugby last weekend, as the Free Jacks ground their way to a 21-15 win over the Toronto Arrows. As the rain gave way to sleet and eventually snow, the Free Jacks notched another high tackle count to see off the challenge. Kudos to the spectators who endured the conditions to cheer on the locals.

Beaudein Waaka continued his  highlight reel ways soon after the game was under way, gathering his own kick ahead and coming close to scoring, but popping the ball up to Joseph Johnston for the opening score.

As the cold took hold and the footing became less secure, the game ground down considerably. The Free Jacks always seemed to have the upper hand, especially since the first half was played into the cold wind and the Free Jacks had the 7-3 lead at half time.

Closing into the final quarter, flanker Slade McDowall put the game out of reach with a winding run that left would be tacklers flailing in his wake. However, the Arrows had some measure of satisfaction for their journey, scoring a try about the 85^th minute to salvage a losing bonus point.  Both sides happily retreated to the warmth of the dressing rooms and out of the biting cold conditions.

The Free Jacks can expect warmer conditions in the next game, in Austin against the top ranked Gilgronis. After dropping the first game of the season against Rugby ATL, Austin has run off five consecutive wins, so it should be a great contest. Catch the action at 8PM on Saturday March 19.

Instant analysis of the Free Jacks win over Rugby New York 38-29 March 6, 2022

The good:

• Stating the obvious, the Free Jacks came away with the maximum points on offer to keep pace near the top of the conference.
• Although they did not put the game out of reach until very late, and also that it could have come apart easily, you got the sense that the Free Jacks were going to win and did not feel in trouble at all. Case in point – after having to make 275+ tackles in each of the previous games, the Free Jacks had “just” 178 tackles in this game, so it was somewhat easier using that measure.
• For the second consecutive game, no cards were issued to the Free Jacks, which is a major improvement over the start of the season. And how New York’s Kalolo Tuiloma managed to avoid a card in the first half remains a mystery to me.
• The Free Jacks mostly managed to keep the ball away from the power runners of the locals i.e. Ed Fidow. Narrow field? Crazy lines? Those aspects may have helped keep the ball in the middle of the field where is was easier to defend.
• The scrum was solid, and even more so when bench players came on. Although, I have no idea why some of those scrum penalties were called, especially in the first half.

The not- so good:

• Turnovers. Lots of them. By both teams, admittedly. Maybe the hard ground led to some of them, but ball security was lacking and led to scores not being made and keeping New York in the game.
• There were a few line breaks conceded in the first channel that the Free Jacks usually don’t give up. Emery and Fautai have game breaking abilities there and the Free Jacks had to scramble to prevent more damage.
• Last year, the rolling maul was a powerful part of the Free Jack’s game. Repeatedly in the games against New York, 5M lineout ball was wasted as the ball got held up and turned over. The penalties were not easily kickable, but not coming away with points on a couple of occasions hurt.
• How costly might the final try conceded be? It gave New York a bonus point that seemed out of reach and that point might come back to haunt the Free Jacks.