MLR Season Preview – Austin Elite

Austin Elite Rugby sounds like more of a program than a team, and in a sense that’s what it is. The team will reportedly be re-branded ahead of Major League Rugby season two but at least they’ve got a solid logo to run with for now.

Similar to Glendale, this team isn’t exactly new. It’s an evolution of the Austin Huns, a Red River Conference Division 1 side that lifted a National Club Championship in 2017. Success in the amateur realm, however, does not necessarily translate into the professional arena.

The three games didn’t go exactly as planned with all three defeats, the last two in convincing fashion against the New Orleans Gold. With the season opener against the heavyweight Glendale Raptors at Infinity Park, there isn’t much time to batten down the hatches.

STRENGTHS

Austin have a solid scrum and some depth across the front row. They’ve held their own without Eagles duo Peter Malcolm and Paddy Ryan in the preseason. Ryan will return soon but sadly the news is not so good on Malcolm who is set to miss the entire season with a knee injury. It’s a major blow but on the whole their first choice forward pack has nice balance with no obvious shortcomings.

Most of their go-forward will come from the midfield. Sione Fangaiuiha and the Suniula brothers are all adept at getting over the gainline, while recent addition Pat Sullivan is another big body who can also kick the leather off the ball. Teams attempting to bash their way through the middle might also find things rather difficult.

The strike runners out wide aren’t big in name or physical stature, but they make up for it with pure pace. Players like Reece Czarnecki, Vetekina Malafu, and Alex Faison-Donahoe are not the types to be run down on a breakaway. If Austin can work an overlap they certainly have the gas-men to finish it.

QUESTIONS

Out wide there are some talented players but will any emerge as a potential star? Footballing skill and game awareness might be a slight weakness and teams may well choose to challenge the back three despite the presence of reliable fullback Zinzan Elan-Puttick.

There are more than enough backs hanging about, but where are the forwards? Outside of the front row there is a concerning lack of depth which seems to have inspired the surprise return of former Springbok No8 Pedrie Wannenburg. Should another ex-international – former Eagles skipper Todd Clever – follow suit that would shore up the back row but there remains only two specialist locks in the squad.

Losing Malcolm leaves them short not only an international player but also a leader, one that could have helped the team turn their preseason misfortunes around. Wannenburg will help as will the imminent arrival of Roland Suniula. If Clever jumps on board as well their confidence should rise dramatically.

HOME FIELD

As is the case with their name, their home turf for the inaugural season is a temporary one. Construction continues on Stadium ATX at Nixon Lane and should be their home moving forward.

In the meantime they will be hosted at Round Rock Multipurpose Complex, a modern athletic facility located 25 miles north of their future home. The main pitch is in good shape though it has had to be repurposed to accomodate the demands of professional rugby with new uprights installed and 2300 temporary seats brought in to raise the total capacity to 2,800.

HEAD COACH

It was a bold move to sign Frenchman Alain Hyardet following the departure of highly-regarded Eugene Eloff. Twice capped for Les Bleus as a player, at 53 years old and with more than 20 years of experience coaching at the professional level Hyardet is the highest profile coach in the league. Despite a language barrier there will be no confusion about what he expects from his team. His chief lieutenant Pedrie Wannenburg has now added ‘player-‘ to his coaching status.

CAPTAIN

A role earmarked for injured hooker Peter Malcolm, the preseason has seen young prop Mason Pedersen wearing the armband in two matches but it’s veteran midfielder Andrew Suniula who stepped up in the final match against NOLA and he looks set to continue in the regular season. With 39 test caps and two World Cups behind him he has more than enough experience to take the leadership role. An imposing inside center who has played professionally all over the world, he’ll lead by example and should prove a calming influence in the midfield.

KEY PLAYERS

A name new to American shores is Irish import Ben Mitchell. Standing 6’7” (2.01m) and with impressive athleticism as befits a converted backfielder, he has quickly established himself as a premier lineout jumper who also boasts a very high work rate around the park. He should prove one of the best second rows in the competition.

Needing no introduction is one of the new darlings of USA rugby, Hanco Germishuys. South African by birth but now firmly American, at only 21 he is already a physical phenom and a devastating ball carrier with a penchant for finding his way to the tryline. How he responds to the inevitable double-teams headed his way will tell us more about his game awareness.

Big brother Andrew will provide plenty of ballast in the midfield but Roland Suniula will bring something different once he arrives from Italy. He was a key cog in the Ohio Aviators midfield and should be for Austin as well with his ability to step through the line or release his outside backs with accurate passing. Roland might not be pressing for an Eagles spot anymore but at this level he remains a classy operator.

ONE TO WATCH

This is normally a spot reserved for an unknown or a youngster on the verge of a breakthrough, but special circumstances demand an exception. At 37 years young forwards coach Pedrie Wannenburg has opted to put on the boots again, making his return to the pitch in the final warm-up game against NOLA. Match fitness will be the immediate concern but speed was never his game and having a 20-cap Springbok veteran on the field is never a bad thing. What impact he has remains to be seen but it’s sure made things interesting.

OUTLOOK

Preseason form and the uncertainty over personnel suggests that Austin are well out of the running for a favorites tag. They have some good players but on paper look second-best in most departments with a mix of youngsters yet to reach their potential and veterans maybe a step past their best. There’s just too much of a ‘work-in-progress’ feel to them. Three teams will miss out on the Semi Finals and it’s a good bet that Austin’s best days won’t come in 2018.