Chicago City Wire

Riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak, the Chicago Hounds are set to face RFC Los Angeles at SeatGeek Stadium this Sunday, April 21st. Head coach Sam Harris has named his 23-man roster for week eight of the 2024 Major League Rugby season.

The front row sees Charlie Abel and Dylan Fawsitt making their third consecutive start. Fawsitt has been in exceptional form, scoring five tries in the last two games and earning an MLR Player of the Week accolade. Ignacio Peculo returns to the starting lineup after being a reserve last week.

Janus Venter retains his spot on the bench as a backup hooker, while Fred Apulu and Paddy Ryan complete the front row substitutes. Mason Flesch and James Scott return as the first-choice second row pairing after resting against Carolina. George Merrick moves to the bench for this match.

Ben Landry transitions from second row to blindside flanker for this week's game against Los Angeles. Mac Jones continues at openside flanker following a strong performance in week seven, completing all 12 tackle attempts and making significant offensive contributions.

Conall Boomer is recalled to the lineup, replacing vice-captain Luke White who will be on the bench wearing No. 20. Jason Higgins makes his second start for the Hounds after an impressive debut that included three tries. He partners again with flyhalf Adriaan Carelse, who has been consistent for Chicago this season with 48 total points from conversions and penalties.

Nate Augspurger returns to left wing after scoring his first try for Chicago last week. Rookie Noah Brown is back in the starting lineup, having demonstrated game-breaking ability earlier in the season.

The center positions remain unchanged with Captain Billy Meakes partnering Bryce Campbell once more. Despite competition since preseason, Campbell seems to have solidified his place over Mark O’Keeffe recently.

Luke Carty returns to action since week five against Seattle Seawolves and will play fullback again. Caolan Dooley and Michael Baska are versatile backs rounding out Chicago's roster this week.

Tickets for Sunday's game are available for purchase online.