Utah comes to town on Thursday, March 21st for what is to be a rare mid-week game in Major League Rugby. Both teams sit near the bottom half of the table, with the Warriors and SaberCats having 7 and 6 points respectively.

After two games in which the ‘Cats have played two of the top teams in the league (Seattle, New Orleans), this game comes along as the team’s best chance in recent weeks to break through that one-win threshold. However, it won’t be an easy task in the slightest.

Despite being just barely ahead of Houston in the standings, Utah has impressed many this season by going toe to toe with some of the toughest opponents MLR has to offer, cultivating in a surprising draw with the Glendale Raptors in a game that they could have easily won. Like Houston, their only victory this season has come against the Austin Elite.

Moreover, they have some very impressive weapons to deploy throughout their squad.  Fetu’u Vainikolo for instance already has 318 meters gained on the season and dazzles through defenders with his quick footwork. Meanwhile, potential Comeback Player of the Year Candidate Josh Whippy sits just behind him with 293 and 73.3 MPG average. Needless to say, there’s some explosion on this team that will have to be dealt with.

However, as fans of the Black and Yellow know, Houston has its own arsenal of explosive elements to utilize. For Instance, Luke Beauchamp is somebody who’s been flying under the radar in terms of league coverage. Not only does the young man lead the team in tackles made (87 total, 14.5 avg per game.), but with the ball in hand is second on the team in carries (50), and third in Meters Gained (276 total, 46 MPG avg). How’s that for a Mr. Do-Everything?

If you want to look to the back end, Fullback Zach Pangelinan has been one of the team’s most consistently productive members since week one, averaging 51.3 MPG. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench to provide late-game support, his speed with both the ball in hand and on defense makes him a dual threat that other teams must account for. With the return of Malacchi Esdale from injury, this Houston backline has the real potential to outmatch the Utah defense.

An issue for both of these teams has been the ability to score from inside the 22. Each squad has seen their game-by-game ball retention rate go up, but without very many points to show for it. Mainly, because they find themselves moving more laterally when they’re knocking on the try-line door than they are forward.

Houston, for now, holds a slight advantage in average possession rate (52%-Utah’s 49%). If they can make sure to turn enough of that time and opportunity into points, this could be the first win at home for the SaberCats this year.