Asking fans in previous seasons if Utah was a serious contender would probably make them laugh. Utah has made the playoffs twice in the past, but they were never really seen as serious contenders. They always had a high-powered attack, but that was about it. This year, though, might be different.
First things first, when talking about Utah it would be foolish not to mention their offence. With 450 points scored during the regular season, they have scored more points than any other playoff team this season. Joe Mano and Liam Coltman lead the way for the Warriors with 14 and ten tries (similar to a touchdown for those more familiar with football) scored respectively. Utah also boasts 14 players who ran for triple-digit meters gained during their 16-match regular season. Jordan Trainor leads from the front with a whopping 1032 meters gained! With all that being said, teams can’t rely on offense alone.
In seasons past, one could say Utah played more of a defense-optional game plan. Their playoff win against Seattle provides proof to the contrary, though. Seattle had 60% of the possession, 61% of the territory, made 550 meters gained, and broke the gainline 71 times. All of these stats point to a Seattle-dominant match, and yet Utah won. All thanks to their “bend not break” defense and the 170 tackles they made in this match. Instead of trying to win matches 45-40 like in seasons past, they can now win matches 23-21 while relying on their defense. That doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns.
Even though Utah beat Seattle for a franchise-first playoff win, there were some worrying signs. One of which is that the Warriors still seems to only be able to play one good half of rugby. They were winning 17-0 at halftime. Which means during the second half that improved defense let in three tries while that high-powered offense only managed two penalty goals (similar to field goals for those football fans). Now, one could argue the comeback just shows what a quality side Seattle was. While that might be true, a real championship side would have stomped on their opponent’s throats instead of letting off.
Can the Utah Warriors win the MLR Shield? They definitely have the offensive weapons to outscore teams. They even have the defensive fortitude to fall back on when they don’t score a ton of points. That is all fine and dandy, but if they can’t keep their foot on the gas pedal for the entire match they won’t stand a chance against other teams who can.
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