Old Glory has a plethora of talented players to play at either tighthead or loosehead prop, and there is no question that the depth is deep, but the big question will be how head coach Andrew Douglas will get playing time for all of them. It's a big head scratcher. The bigger head scratcher will be where will some players play. While we haven't seen the lineup yet, it is still a mystery to us who will play where, so there can only be questions made and speculation. With that said, let's take a look at each player.
Dante Lopresti
Lopresti is a tighthead prop who will no doubt provide depth for the team. He is 5'11" and 250 lbs, so he should be able to pack a lot of force into a scrum if injuries do occur. A local product of the D.C. metropolitan area, he played for Old Glory in their exhibition season in 2019. Lopresti played for local club Potomac Exiles and was selected to the prestigious Capital Selects.
Will Vakalahi
Vakalahi played for Old Glory during their exhibition season, but he might've been a steal as he looks to be an up and coming star player as the team hopes he can develop. He's only 20 years old and has a 5’10” and 275 lbs frame, so he looks to be a force in a scrum. While it will be hard for him to crack a starting role, he does provide great depth and will likely come on as a replacement a lot during the season.
Jake Turnbull
Turnbull is 6'2" and 285 lbs as he adds quite some power and weight to the scrum. In 20 matches played for Houston in the past two seasons, he has scored one try. This was an excellent pickup as he helped Houston win their last four matches of the season to finish 6-10 after starting 2-10. It also brings in some star power as he is considered one of the top front rowers in the MLR.
Khalid Williams
Williams was signed for the 2019 exhibition season after impressing at the Columbus combine. Like Lopresti, Williams will provide depth at prop and his 6'0" and 240 lbs frame could make him a great piece for the scrum. Williams got his rugby career started in high school, but went on to be a great collegiate player for Notre Dame College as he earned 2017 D1A Rugby East All-Conference Second Team honors.
Gordon Fullerton
One of the first significant signings for Old Glory and they found a player who adds quite a punch in the scrum. Fullerton is versatile as he can play loosehead and tighthead, but his 6'1" and 256 lbs frame will help him go a long way in the forward pack. He did play in the Mitre 10 Cup for Te Awamutu. At 21 years old, this could be another underrated signing as he could blossom into a big time player in the league. Now, the question will be whether if he starts or he comes on as a replacement.
Jack Iscaro
Iscaro is an interesting prospect as he played at California-Berkeley, one of the top college rugby programs in the United States, but he also brings versatility as he can play at hooker. He is also a local product as he played for Gonzaga High School and played for the Maryland Exiles, a youth rugby club. While Iscaro is not likely to crack the starting lineup, however, like Vakalahi, the team will hope he can develop as he looks to be a star player in the making. So for right now, he is just depth, but should get some playing time coming on as a replacement.
Tendai Mtawarira
This is arguably the biggest signing that has been made by an MLR side since it's inception in 2018, but this will improve the front row for Old Glory significantly. Mtawarira gets his nickname of "Beast" because of his overpowering charges, his incredible scrummaging skills and power, big build, and is arguably one of the strongest forwards in the sport. "Beast" had been crushing defenders and ball carriers since 2006 when he joined the Sharks of Super Rugby and has been a main fixture at loosehead prop for South Africa since 2008. For the Sharks, Mtawarira had made 160 appearances, the most by any South African player in Super Rugby. At the national level, he has made 117 appearances for the Springboks, the third most in South African history, including 14th most for an international forward and fifth among props. He's also played for the Barbarians. For the Springboks, he had helped his country to win multiple Tri Nations/The Rugby Championship titles and a Rugby World Cup trophy in 2019. He had just retired from international play after winning the World Cup. There is no doubt that "Beast" will be named on gamedays, but it would seem likely that he will be the starting loosehead prop. Mtawarira might come on as a replacement on occasion, but is very likely to be the starter. That being said, with him signed on, it will be interesting how head coach Andrew Douglas will utilize his options at both prop positions. "Beast" also brings a wealth of experience which will be critical in the scrum and in the first season in the MLR.
The question remains how the front row will look, especially with how Iscaro can play at hooker and Max Lum, who is listed as a hooker, can play at prop, which could be helpful if injuries occur. Mtawarira, Vakalahi, Iscaro, and Turnbull play at loosehead and while Vakalahi and Iscaro are not likely to start, it does create a problem. But it isn't any kind of problem, it's a good problem. However, it complicates how head coach Andrew Douglas makes his starting lineup. Both Turnbull and Mtawarira are starting loosehead props, but with Mtawarira undoubtedly getting the starting nod, what happens with Turnbull? Will he back up "Beast" on game days or will he change his position and play at tighthead? So if, Turnbull becomes the starting tighthead prop, what happens to Fullerton? Will he backup Turnbull? Fullerton is versatile as well as he can play at loosehead, so will he back up Mtawarira? Or, will he just be the starting tighthead? And the ripple effect continues with Vakalahi and Iscaro. So let's say Turnbull starts at tighthead and Fullerton backs him up, there's a battle for the backup to "Beast." Vakalahi and Iscaro would then battle it out to be the backup loosehead. Then, let's say Turnbull backs up "Beast", does that mean Vakalahi and Iscaro learn how to play tighthead and backup Fullerton? Vakalahi is listed on Americas Rugby News as both a loosehead and tighthead, which helps the club, but that remains to be seen.
Interesting enough, with Lum now in the picture and is battling out for the starting hooker position, how could he be utilized? Theoretically if he is the starting hooker, his versatility could come in handy for Old Glory as he could slide over to replace Mtawarira at loosehead and have Mikey Sosene-Feagai or Iscaro come in and play at hooker. If he is able to play tighthead, then that opens up even more options.
Needless to say, there's a lot going on here, but there are so many options for Douglas to work with that the scrum should be pretty strong. And like it was said earlier, while there is uncertainty with how his squad will look on gameday, with the type of talent Old Glory has, it's a good problem to have.
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