The Houston SaberCats tallied their second victory of the season as they held off a spirited Utah Warriors fightback, earning the Texans an important 29-27 win and Week 9 Team of the Week Award.
Dylan Fawsitt led from the front as RUNY’s forward pack laid the foundations for a 31-19 win over the Glendale Raptors, the try-scoring hooker scooping Week 9 Player of the Week.
The SaberCats raced into a 17-0 lead with a penalty and two converted tries early on. The Warriors forced their way back into the match, eventually tying the score at 20. Houston then tightened up defensively, keeping Utah scoreless for nearly 30 minutes, while flyhalf Sam Windsor’s superb kicking extended the lead to nine.
Windsor produced a game-high 19 points, slotting five penalties out of five and both try conversions. The Warriors’ 78th-minute try closed the gap to two, but the home side’s swarming defense held firm on Utah’s final drive.
RUNY hooker Dylan Fawsitt was prominent in offense and defense in his team’s 31-19 win over the Glendale Raptors. Fawsitt made 78 meters on nine carries and scored RUNY’s third try of the night - remarkably his fifth on the season, placing him one behind MLR’s league leaders. The Ireland-born Eagle also made 16 tackles as he became the third RUNY player to win a Player of the Week Award this season.
MLR’s First XV of Week 9:
Loosehead Prop (No. 1), LaRome White, Austin Elite
Hooker (No. 2), Dylan Fawsitt, Rugby United New York
Tighthead Prop (No. 3), Paddy Ryan, Rugby United New York
Lock (No. 4), Ben Mitchell, Austin Elite
Lock (No. 5), Luke White, Glendale Raptors
Blindside Flanker (No. 6), Nikola Bursic, New Orleans Gold
Openside Flanker (No. 7), Lance Williams, Utah Warriors
No. 8, Alejandro Nieto, Houston SaberCats
Scrum-half (No. 9), Mike Petri, Rugby United New York
Fly-half (No. 10), Sam Windsor, Houston SaberCats
Wing (No. 11), Malacchi Esdale, Houston SaberCats
Inside Center (No. 12), Tim O’Malley, Utah Warriors
Outside Center (No. 13), Mark O’Keeffe, Rugby United New York
Wing (No. 14), Tim Maupin, New Orleans Gold
Fullback (No. 15), Soheyl Jaoudat, Austin Elite