Chicago City Wire

Three players from the Hounds rugby team have been recognized in Major League Rugby's Week Eight First XV. This weekly team-sheet highlights the top performers from the weekend's matches. The honored players are forward Ben Landry, center Billy Meakes, and wing Nate Augspurger.

Ben Landry, in his third start for the Hounds, contributed significantly with two tries, including a full seven-pointer. He also made eight carries for 31 meters and beat one defender. At the breakdown, he had nine first-or-second arrivals and completed three of four tackle attempts defensively. Additionally, Landry added a lineout take to his performance statistics.

Hounds' captain Billy Meakes achieved a new season-high with 13 carries for 111 meters. He beat two defenders and successfully completed seven out of eight tackle attempts. This marks Meakes' second inclusion in MLR’s weekly First XV; he was previously selected in week six.

Nate Augspurger, named the 2023 MLR Back of the Year, scored a hat trick against Los Angeles on Sunday, increasing his try-total to four this season. He ran for 122 meters on nine carries—a single-game high for 2024—and beat seven defenders while making three clean line-breaks. On defense, Augspurger completed six of nine tackle attempts.