Game Preview, March 11: 3-0 SaberCats Primed for Road Match

‘We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas pedal,’ 3-0 SaberCats primed for road match against 3-0 Seawolves

By Aaron Wilson

A flight to the Pacific Northwest means more than a long road trip for the undefeated SaberCats.

Although it’s early in the season, the 3-0 SaberCats are establishing an elite standard unmatched by almost everyone in Major League Rugby with one notable exception: the 3-0 Seattle Seawolves.

One week after engineering a dramatic comeback victory over the previously unbeaten San Diego Legion, the SaberCats have an opportunity to improve to 4-0 heading into a bye week. 

On the line: first place in the Western Conference division.

It won’t be an easy task, though, at Starfire Stadium in a rematch of a playoff game from last season.

“We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas pedal,” SaberCats prop Pono Davis said. “We need to keep that momentum going.”

The SaberCats lead Major League Rugby in scoring with 99 points and have allowed just 54 points. They lead both conferences with 14 tries scored.

The Seawolves are coming off a 35-10 win over the Dallas Jackals that included three tries in the second half as Riekert Hattingh scored in each half. The SaberCats, Seawolves and Legion are the only teams to earn bonus points with four tries in a match.

Both the SaberCats and the Seawolves are fast, physical, fundamentally sound squads.

Led by clutch plays by Gideon van Wyk, Christian Dyer, Davy Coetzer and Gerrie Labuschagne‘, the SaberCats are off to a good start.

Six days after beating the Legion, the SaberCats are back in action against a formidable opponent.

“It’s a short turnaround and we’ve had a lot of injuries,” SaberCats director Heyneke Meyer said. “We’ve had a lot of injuries and this is another tough game. We’re thin at the moment, but we give guys an opportunity to play. This is another tough game. Their team is quality. We’re on the road. We need to be humble. It’s a long season.”

Labuschagne flashed his speed on a long try and was named Man of the Match for his performance against the Legion.

The SaberCats will need more plays like that against the Seawolves.

“Very blessed, I think it’s all about perseverance,” Labuschagne’ said. “It’s going to be a very tough match. It’s important for us to keep persevering and believing.”

The short week is a factor, of course. The SaberCats need a strong set of practice sessions and to have key players recover from injuries.

“It’s going to be a short turnaround with only a few practices,” Dominic Akina said. “We’re going to have to nail these days and earn that by week. To win this match, that would be very ideal. That’s what we’re looking forward to. Take it day by day and win the day.”

van Wyk scored the game-winning try against the Legion. He’s off to a good start.

“Now, is our time,” van Wyk said. “It’s great, but we need to stay humble, feet on the ground. We need a great performance in Seattle. We know Seattle is a tough team. Especially there, we need to stick to our game plan.”

Dyer made a game-preserving tackle in the final seconds against the Legion.

“It’s encouraging,” Dyer said. “We still have a lot of work to do. This is a good data point on our journey. We’ll watch the film and we’ll put all of our attention on Seattle. We’ll go back to the drawing board. We’re young and we’re hungry.”

*Photos by BigShots SnapShots