'Super-physical': Houston's Seth Smith points to US rugby future – and MLR decider

The SaberCats hooker, 20, faces New England on Saturday as a striking talent formed by South African coaching but also nine years of Texas rugby

It's less than two years since Seth Smith became the youngest player ever in Major League Rugby and he only turned 20 this week. The hooker's birthday fell on Tuesday, during the Houston SaberCats' preparation for their first MLR Championship Game, against the New England Free Jacks in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

The Free Jacks are seeking a third title in a row but in the SaberCats camp, "Everybody's very positive," Smith said, contemplating the challenge for a team that had previously played three postseason games and lost them all.

Martin Pengelly writes on Substack at The National Maul, on rugby in the US