Anthem RC at Old Glory DC — Week 11 Preview

FINAL MATCH OF THE SEASON BRINGS ONE MORE CHANCE.

Written by Dan Brooks

One More

One more chance to show what this team is made of. Anthem Rugby Carolina travels to George Mason Stadium for the final match of their 2026 season, and while the playoff picture is complicated, it is not closed. A bonus point victory over Old Glory DC, combined with a Chicago win over New England in the other fixture, could still see Anthem into the top four. It is a long shot, but this squad has been exceeding expectations all season, and they have no intention of stopping now.

“We have a lot of things to play for,” Coach Cuca said this week. The most obvious is the playoff math, but it goes deeper than that. Anthem sit sixth in the table on 13 points, with New England and Old Glory DC level on 17 above them. A five-point haul in Fairfax would take Anthem to 18, and if Chicago do what they have done all season and beat New England, the door could open. But even beyond the permutations, there is the simple matter of pride. This will be the last time this particular group of players takes the field together. Roster changes and staff movements are inevitable in any offseason, and Coach Cuca has made it clear that he wants the squad to leave everything out there. “We are playing for our pride,” he said. “For a game that will probably be the last game that all of this group plays together.”

There is also the small matter of the table. Anthem do not want to finish last, and a win with bonus point could see them leapfrog one or both of the teams above them depending on other results. The motivation is there from every angle.

Know The Opponent

Old Glory DC present a different kind of challenge to California. Where the Legion played with width and tempo, DC are built around defensive structure and territory. Coach Cuca has studied them closely and respects what head coach Simon Cross has put together. “They have a very defensive mindset,” Cuca said. “They try to put you under pressure, give you the ball, and then defend against you and win penalties in your territory. Then they kick to your 22 and play their power rugby.” It is an approach built on patience, discipline, and a spine of experienced players who have been together for three seasons.

The threats are clear. Kirby Myhill at hooker is, in Cuca’s words, a world-class player. Jason Robertson at flyhalf is one of the best game managers in the league. Perry Humphreys brings pace and finishing ability in the back three. Cory Daniel, the flanker who was named MLR Player of the Week after DC’s comeback win over New England earlier this season, is a relentless presence at the breakdown. And Rob Harley, the Scottish international lock who brings leadership and physicality to the pack, could return this weekend. “They have a very balanced team with good experience for the league,” Cuca said. “They are well coached and they have good players in the key positions.”

What makes DC particularly dangerous is that continuity. While Anthem have been building from scratch this season with a roster that turned over almost 70%, many of DC’s core players have been together for three years under the same coaching setup. “When you have a very short league, sometimes that comes a lot,” Cuca acknowledged. In a 10-game season, the teams with established combinations and settled structures have an inherent advantage. Anthem have had to build those connections on the fly, and the progress has been remarkable, but it remains a factor.

The Storylines

Coach Cuca has made several notable changes to the starting fifteen. The front row has been refreshed, with Elias Garza earning a start at loosehead prop and Ollie Kane at tighthead, a reward for both players’ growing impact off the bench throughout the season. Alex Maughan drops to the bench. Cuca has been particularly pleased with Garza’s development: the young loosehead, originally a first-round draft pick by Chicago, has earned more minutes with each passing week and showed real quality in his extended run against California. “He keeps working hard,” Cuca said. “He is very young, it’s not easy to play prop, but he will have a very good future.”

In the second row, Will Sherman partners Johan Momsen, with Sam Golla absent from the matchday squad. The back row sees Marques Fualaau rewarded with a start at openside flanker after his consistently impactful performances off the bench all season. Makeen Alikhan misses out through suspension following his red card against California, and Tesimoni Tonga’uiha continues at blindside with Baden Godfrey at number eight. It is a back row built for physicality and ball-carrying, exactly what Anthem will need against DC’s aggressive defensive line.

Behind the scrum, Ishma-eel Safodien starts at scrumhalf, bringing a different tempo to the nine jersey. Luke Carty directs at ten, with Tom Pittman at inside center and Dominic Akina taking the 13 shirt. Julian Roberts shifts to the wing alongside Conner Mooneyham, with Jordan Trainor at fullback. The bench carries two debutants: Jeron Pantor, who will earn his first MLR appearance, and Matthew Carrion, who had a handful of games for the Free Jacks last season and now gets his chance in an Anthem jersey. Both add depth and energy to a squad that has prided itself on bench impact all year.

The tactical focus this week is sharp. Coach Cuca identified two areas that will define the contest: discipline and finishing in the 22. The penalty count against California (19 conceded) was far too high, and against a DC side that feeds off territory and set piece pressure, giving away cheap penalties would be self-defeating. “It will be super important how we are dominant when we are attacking,” Cuca said. “Our efficiency in the 22 is something we have to improve. We need that killer instinct when we arrive there.” The numbers bear it out: against California, Anthem entered the opposition 22 repeatedly but converted at a rate well below what the opportunities deserved. Dial that conversion rate up, and the scoreboard takes care of itself.

DC’s own season has not gone quite as their coaching staff would have hoped. At 3-6, they sit level on points with New England and have produced performances, the early-season win over the Free Jacks, the competitive showing against Seattle, that suggest they are better than their record indicates. They will be just as desperate as Anthem to finish the season with a statement, and George Mason Stadium is a ground where they have been competitive all year.

But this Anthem squad has shown all season that they can compete with anyone when they bring accuracy to match their effort. They scored six tries against unbeaten Chicago. They dominated the three-time champions at the set piece. They claimed the franchise’s first ever victory and first ever home win. And the culture Coach Cuca has built, the accountability, the belief in each other, the willingness to keep fighting regardless of the scoreboard, is something that will outlast any single result.

Campbell Robb, who becomes eligible for the USA Eagles in September, is one of several players whose trajectory this season has been genuinely exciting. Will Sherman continues to develop into a player of real quality. Fualaau’s impact has been undeniable. And the two debutants on the bench represent the next chapter of a program that is still very much in its early pages.

One more game. One more chance.

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