Preceding the 4 pm match against the Ontario Arrows is an 11 am Old Boys match against the Greyhounds that will be followed by the D2 Barbarians NERFU playoff match against rivals Boston Irish Wolfhounds at 1 PM.

Boston Mystic River

In professional rugby action, Boston Mystic Rugby had a close match until the final minutes against Rugby United New York in their last match on March 31. This was an improvement from their first match of the season away against RUNY. Boston Mystic River resumes their competition against another potential Major League Rugby team for 2019, the Ontario Arrows. A return fixture against the Arrows will be held at York University on May 5.

Although Mystic River played NYAC in a D1 match last weekend, there is only one major change from that team as Chris Frazier has returned from playing with Tiger Rugby at the Hong Kong 10s and at the Melrose Sevens.

When Looking at head coach Josh Smith squad on March 31 against RUNY, he has made two changes in the squad as Chirs Frazier and Owen Hunt replace Joe “Hollywood” Shurmaitis and Jon Kokinda, respectively at flanker and No. 8. The forwards also see McKenna and Maupese swapping sides at prop and Kaivelata and Burns doing the same at lock. The Arrows have a formidable pack in the set pieces, so adjustments are being made by a USA Rugby Coach of the Year in 2016.

The starting backs remain the same with both wings Steve Dazzo and Vini Daley, as well as Santiago Bertranou having an excellent match against RUNY.

Josh Smith indicated that “After a slow start to the season with some difficult weather we have finally settled into training and are starting to develop our patterns/schemes. Having a quality side like Ontario coming into Pine Banks will be a great measuring stick to see where our training has brought us. Using our D-2 program to develop players has really energized the training sessions, players are really pushing that next man up on the depth chart.”

Ontario Arrows

The Ontario Arrows are 1-1-1 in matches so far against Major League Rugby teams. They have an excellent group of forwards that have challenged one of the leading scrummaging teams, the Houston SaberCats. The team is improving as the season continues with a 24-20 win away against the Utah Warriors two weeks ago. Unfortunately, a highly anticipated rematch against Rugby United New York in what was to be their home opener was canceled due to icy field conditions.

The home and away series against Boston Mystic Rugby is also one that the team wants to win. The team has a very strong side for the match on Saturday with Chris Silverthorn making three changes in the backs along with a positional change from the side that was selected last week against RUNY.

Players gaining a starting role include Alex Gliksten at scrumhalf, Kainoa Lloyd at wing and Cooper Coats at fullback with Jon West moving from wing to outside center.

Pro D2 player and Canada national team player Martial Lagain is a reserve addition.

Boston Mystic River: 1 Dave McKenna 2 Jeff Laflamme 3 Pino Maupese 4 Michael Kaivelata 5 Andrew Burns 6 Chris Frazier 7 Devin Ibanez 8 Owen Hundt 9 Ian Luciano 10 Santiago Bertranou 11 Vini Daley 12 Matias De Paolis 13 Paulo Aukuso 14 Steve Dazzo 15 Jared Collinson 16 Gianni Miceli 17 Greg Rasmuson 18 Scotty Lucas 19 Dana Corcoran 20 Sam Sirrel 21 Erik Thompson 22 Mike Rudzinsky 23 Aki Raymond + Head Coach Josh Smith