With Week 18 drawn to a close Dan and Pete look at the implications the matches had ahead of the Conference Finals. In hard fought matches both Eastern Playoff teams enter the match on Saturday with a loss in their rear view mirror. Utah gain some confidence with a win over LA that pushed them to the brink, knowing that when they play LA in the Coliseum they'll have to play just as hard if they want to make it to their first Major League Rugby Shield Final.Sama Malolo has been around the world, twice appearing for the Australian U-20s at the 2017 and 2018 Junior World Championships and playing Rugby in Japan. Although his 2021 season has been brief due to injury, it has been nothing short of outstanding leading to 10 tries in eight games played. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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EP99: Conference Finals Rugby, It's Just Different Ft. Sama Malolo

After a rousing win over Los Angeles in Week 16, the Golden Road Warriors fell against Seattle in Week 17 of Season 4. LA, Utah, and Atlanta secure their spots in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. New York gives themselves a leg up in the race for the final spot following their rousing victory over Houston. Johan Momsen has been a key fixture since joining Rugby ATL for their expansion season in the Pandemic shortened 2020. In 2021 he picked up where he left off with his massive work rate, in Week 17 of MLR Season 4 he brought every tool he had out onto the pitch in his performance against the Utah Warriors to help secure Rugby ATL a bonus point victory. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 98: Three's Company, But Who Makes the Crowd? Playoffs In Sight Ft. Johan Momsen

With the week that celebrated both Canada Day and the United States Independence Day, North American Rugby fans were treated to some epic Rugby over the weekend. NOLA Gold has transformed itself from struggling mid-season to winning games when it almost doesn't make sense. But if you asked the Gold, they have built a sense of belief within themselves. This belief has allowed them to thrive in adverse conditions. Dan and Pete break down the week that was and look ahead to week 17. Beaudein Waaka has played all along the backline when the Free Jacks have needed him, but in the second half of the season he has returned to his roots at Fly-Half. Pete sits down with Beaudein to talk about his season and his performance in Round 16. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP97: NOLA Gold Win 4th of July Ft Beaudein Waaka

As the days count down to the MLR Final on August 1st, the playoff race has tightened. With Los Angeles and Atlanta likely to be the conferences first seeded teams, who can get 2nd. Week 16 will give the fans a better picture. Dan and Pete break down week 15 and give you the playoff implications as we move into week 16 of season four. Hanco Germishuys has been a mainstay of MLR and the Eagles over the last five years. We sit down with him to discuss his outstanding performance against Toronto and what it means to be called up for the US Eagles. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 96: Which Team Makes the Playoffs? Ft. Hanco Germishuys

Week 14 of Major League Rugby saw the Giltinis face major adversity with eleven roster changes following several injuries before kickoff but they pulled out the victory against SD. The Utah Warriors held onto their place in the standings with their victory against New York while opening the door just slightly for NOLA or New England to have a chance at taking the second spot in the East. Bill Meakes has been all over the world playing Rugby, making his journey in a bit of unorthodox way, he continued that when he signed for the Giltinis. His performance on Saturday against San Diego was incredibly impressive. He's been a standout center for Darren Coleman this season, but just as his career has been unorthodox his performance on Saturday led to a Player of the Week selection finding out hours before the match that he'd play Openside Flanker for the first time in his life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 95: The MLR Playoff Race is Coming Down to The Wire Ft. Bill Meakes

Heading into Round 14, Dan and Pete sit down to break down how week 13 of Major League Rugby continues to shape the ever tightening playoff picture in the East. The West, even with the Giltinis on a Bye seems to have a mostly cleared up with the Warriors and the Gilgronis looking to secure the last remaining spot. Yet San Diego even in a loss to Utah will still be pushing to return to the playoffs for the third time. Dom Akina, is from Hawai'i but grew up while being raised in Oregon by his grandmother. While a stand out Football Player at Division II Western Oregon he found Rugby. His exposure and time knowing the game of Rugby has been limited, he has made a dramatic impact for the Austin Gilgronis in his two seasons with the club. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 94: MLR's Late Season Spectacles Ft. Dom Akina

Through 12 weeks of the season, Major League Rugby remains the most competitive league on the field globally. The parity from the top to the bottom of the Eastern Conference will take a Battle Hardened team into the final. A healthy and resurgent San Diego is putting pressure on Austin and Utah. The Warriors find a way to win and hold onto second place in the West ahead of their showdown with the Legion. Commissioner George Killebrew joins the show to discuss the progress of Major League Rugby over the past twelve weeks and how the league continues to make massive gains commercially off the field. He discusses the purpose of connecting the pathway between collegiate rugby and MLR in the United States as two first round picks have been called into Gary Gold's Eagles squad. Joe Pietersen, the veteran fly-half who's been around the world has marshalled the San Diego attack around the park for the past three seasons. In 2019 he was runner up to both Player of the Year and Back of the Year awards. He sits down to discuss what keeps him coming back to play for San Diego and about their season so far. At first struggling with injuries and fitness, San Diego are now charging towards the second playoff spot in the West. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP93: Major League Rugby Competitive as Ever Through 12 Weeks Ft. George Killebrew and Joe Pietersen

Following week 11 the race for the playoffs in the East continues to tighten as every team remains in the hunt. Dan and Pete break down this past week's action while taking a close examination of the Eastern Conference playoff outlook. Mike Te'o has been a fixture of US Rugby since he burst onto the scene as a teenager making the USA 7s pool at 19 in 2012. He would become a solid member of the squad during the 2016-2017 HSBC Seven's Series while also entrenching himself as a key member of the USA Eagles XV in the 2016 ARC. Since then he's been featured in every season of Major League Rugby as well as a short stint in the RFU Championship with London Scottish in the COVID-19 Pandemic shortened season of 2020. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 92: It's Moving Week in Major League Rugby Ft. Mike Te'o

The Major League Rugby Eastern Conference remains the most competitive race in MLR with only ten points separating last place Old Glory and first place Rugby ATL. The East continues to show it is the dominant conference with Eastern teams traveling and winning against their Western conference opponents. LA Continues to ride high in the Western Conference, but the Austin Gilgronis certainly didn't make it easy in their mid-week match. Jason Robertson joins the show for his second player of the week appearance in his two seasons in Major League Rugby. Early on in the season he suffered a thumb injury which sidelined him for three weeks. He discusses the difficulty of the injury and how he's come into form over the past two weeks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 91 The Fight to Win the MLR East Remains Open Ft. Jason Robertson

Week 9 of Major League Rugby action ends as San Diego Legion and Old Glory DC find new leases on life in their respective wins at the mid-way point. Major League Rugby sees the first Rugby match played in SoFi Stadium in a grudge match between the Los Angeles Giltinis and the Utah Warriors, with the Giltinis proving victorious. Dan and Pete break down week 9's action and look forward to week 10. Angus Cottrell of the Los Angeles Giltinis joins Dan Power to discuss his season in Los Angeles after his Player of the Week performance. Cottrell a veteran of the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels discusses that he was looking to play overseas after falling out of the Wallabies selection picture and was keen to play in the great city of Los Angeles and explore the United States. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP90: Major League Rugby in SoFi Stadium Ft. Angus Cottrell

Dan and Pete break down Week 8's action with New York proving victorious over the Giltinis in a hard effort. The East showed how strong it could be over the west in week 8 with only the Utah Warriors in the inter conference play coming away unscathed. Aston Fortuin joins Dan Power to discuss his time as a young player in South Africa. He discusses the size of the Varsity Cup competition which he won while playing for the University of Pretoria. He then discusses his love of travel which he got to fulfill first playing for the EP Kings in the Pro 14 and now with the Utah Warriors. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP89: NY Takes Down the Giltinis Ft Aston Fortuin

Week 7 is over and the playoff picture in the West is setting up for the Giltinis. Their fitness, their quickness, their physicality, has made them the outright contender for the MLR Shield. But in the East, it's a tough division, it's unknown who will come out on top. But New York sits above the rest. Dan and Pete break down the performances from week 7 and how that will effect week 8s match ups. John Poland, scrum-half for the New England Free Jacks joins the show following his outstanding performance against the San Diego Legion. John came through the Munster Academy, unsure of what he would do when he graduated from the University College Cork he got a call from Conor Kindregan to see if he would be interested in helping stand up an expansion franchise. After some thought, Poland felt that this would be a way to re-ignite his love of the game while still accomplishing his goal of being a professional rugby player. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP88: The Lightning of a Giltinis and Free Jacks ride in Los Angeles Ft John Poland

With week 6 wrapped up in the books and teams have settled. Dan and Pete look back on the performances and how they could have gotten them right or wrong. The Toronto Arrows show how hard the Eastern Conference is. The Gilgronis continued their longest winning streak in the history of the franchise by demolishing the back to back champion Seattle Seawolves. But when it comes to picks, Gorgeous Dan and the MLR Professor needed to check in with the current global leader in SuperBru @ScaryLarryRugby. Adriaan Carelse was a late arrival due to the complications of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, in his three appearances with two of them being starts at fullback he has shown an innate sense of being able to sit back and control the game with his wide skill set. We learn about the beginning of his career and being able to come full circle and play for one his idols in Rugby ATL Attack Coach Steve Brett. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP 87: The Toronto Arrows Soar and the Gilgronis Are Having a Good Time Ft. Adriaan Carelse

With the limited run up to the season due to various constraints, Dan and Pete knew that the first five weeks of the season would have a "pre-season flair" to them. Now as every side has had the chance to get into Rugby shape we're starting to know some things about where the 2021 season is going. Patrick Parfrey, Canadian International, and PhD Candidate joins the show. Following the 2019 World Cup he took some time off to pay attention to his studies in Clinical Epidemiology and like the COVID-19 Pandemic cut short the 2020 MLR season it also postponed his return to an Arrows shirt. He joins the show following his Player of the Week performance against the Seattle Seawolves to discuss the season and the Arrows adjustment to life in Atlanta. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP86: MLR "Pre-Season" Is Over, It's Time to Play! Ft. Patrick Parfrey

In week four of the 2021 season, things started to shake out. Coaches made key selections that drove the performance of their sides. The Professor discusses selections in his tactics session and how important those decisions were. Teams that needed wins to right the ship and get back on course did so. Whilst others still had questions. Dan Hollinshead following his dominating performance against Rugby ATL joins the show to discuss his first few matches in MLR and how Rugby United New York took and won their bye week to build towards that performance. He also chats how facing Old Glory will be the battle of old teammates as he faces off against Mungo Mason and Jason Robertson this coming Sunday. Join MLR Kickoff, my Major League Rugby league on @Superbru! You can find my pool here:https://www.superbru.com/majorleaguerugby/pool.php?p=12317136or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with code:fogsabet See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

EP85: The Houston SaberCats Bare Their Teeth Ft. POW Dan Hollinshead

Welcome to the Major League Rugby Kickoff podcast hosted by Dan Power and Pete Steinberg.

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MLR Kickoff

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