2024 – RD 1: Houston SaberCats v Utah Warriors

22 v 15

Report

The first game of the Western Conference in the 2024 season saw the Utah Warriors travel to Texas to face the SaberCats. Both teams finished with the same 10-6 record in 2023, but Utah missed out on the post-season while Houston did not. The Warriors won both 2023 match-ups in the growing rivalry.

The action didn’t take long to start, with a fearsome SaberCats maul bundling over to score just 4 minutes in, Ronan Murphy scoring for the first points and first try of 2024 for the ‘Cats. Despite Joel Hodgson slotting a pen for the Warriors’ first points of 2024, Houston dominated the first half and led 15-3 at the break. Utah managed to get back into the game thanks in part to a yellow card to Johan Momsen, allowing Spencer Jones to exploit a gap for the first Warriors’ try of the season, and the first try by a Canadian in 2024.

The Warriors were on top for much of the 2nd half but a beautiful Tautalatasi Tasi interception allowed Houston to extend their lead to 22-8. The ‘Cats continued to absorb the pressure but could not hold, with Bailey Wilson dotting down for another try and Hodgson nailing the conversion to bring the Warriors within 7 and secure the losing Bonus Point, final score 22-15 to the hosts.

Details

Date	Time	League	Season
March 2, 2024	8:00 pm	Major League Rugby	MLR 2024

Results

Team	Tries	Conversions	Penalty Kick	TB	LB	Points
SaberCats	3	2/3	1/2	0	0	22
Warriors	2	1/2	1/1	0	1	15

SaberCats

#	Player	Position	T	C	P	MG	Tackles	KS/KA	Pts
1	Ezekiel Lindenmuth 17	Prop	0	0	0	26	9	0	0
2	Pita Anae-Ah Sue 16	Hooker	0	0	0	21	15	0	0
3	Maks van Dyk 18	Prop	1	0	0	6	3	0	5
4	Justin Basson	Lock	0	0	0	5	20	0	0
5	Johan Momsen	Flanker	0	0	0	10	13	0	0
6	Marno Redelinghuys	Flanker	0	0	0	11	17	0	0
7	Keni Nasoqeqe 19	Flanker	0	0	0	33	5	0	0
8	Ronan Murphy 20	Number 8	1	0	0	40	5	0	5
9	André Warner 21	Scrum-half	0	0	0	21	5	0	0
10	Davy Coetzer	Fly-half	0	2	1	25	7	3/5	7
11	Jeremy Misailegalu 22	Center	0	0	0	41	5	0	0
12	Dominic Akina 23	Center	0	0	0	55	5	0	0
13	Tautalatasi Tasi	Center	1	0	0	90	22	0	5
14	Christian Dyer	Wing	0	0	0	3	9	0	0
15	Drew Wild	Fullback	0	0	0	51	4	0	0
16	Seth Smith 2	Hooker	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
17	Valdemar Lee-Lo 1	Prop	0	0	0	2	5	0	0
18	Pono Davis 3	Prop	0	0	0	7	12	0	0
19	Emmanuel Albert 7	Lock	0	0	0	2	9	0	0
20	Asa Carter 8	Flanker	0	0	0	0	9	0	0
21	Carlo de Nysschen 9	Scrum-half	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
22	Max Schumacher 11	Fly-half	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
23	Line Latu 12	Fly-half	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
	Total		3	2	1	449	187	3/5	22

Warriors

#	Player	Position	T	C	P	MG	Tackles	KS/KA	Pts
1	Emerson Prior 17	Prop	0	0	0	0	3	0	0
2	Nic Souchon 16	Hooker	0	0	0	14	5	0	0
3	Angus MacLellan 18	Prop	0	0	0	0	4	0	0
4	Frank Lochore	Lock	0	0	0	80	9	0	0
5	Louis Conradie 19	Lock	0	0	0	7	1	0	0
6	Kalisi Moli 22	Flanker	0	0	0	24	6	0	0
7	Dylan Nel	Flanker	0	0	0	82	6	0	0
8	Thomas Tu’avao 20	Number 8	0	0	0	27	6	0	0
9	Zion Going	Scrum-half	0	0	0	14	7	0	0
10	Joel Hodgson	Fly-half	0	1	1	13	9	2/3	5
11	Mika Kruse	Wing	0	0	0	48	1	0	0
12	Paul Lasike 21	Center	0	0	0	43	13	0	0
13	Spencer Jones	Center	1	0	0	58	6	0	5
14	Michael Manson	Wing	0	0	0	41	4	0	0
15	Caleb Makene	Fly-half	0	0	0	80	1	0	0
16	Phil Bradford 2	Hooker	0	0	0	26	1	0	0
17	Franco van den Berg 1	Prop	0	0	0	16	2	0	0
18	Paul Mullen 3	Prop	0	0	0	16	2	0	0
19	Saia ‘Uhila 5	Lock	0	0	0	9	5	0	0
21	Kieran McClea 12	Scrum-half	0	0	0	63	0	0	0
20	Onehunga Havili 8	Lock	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
22	Bailey Wilson 6	Flanker	1	0	0	22	7	0	5
23	Robbie Povey	Fly-half	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		2	1	1	683	98	2	15