By Aaron Wilson
When it comes to delivering the ball to his teammates, Jay Renton is one of the best performers in Major League Rugby.
The Houston SaberCats’ scrumhalf ranks second on the team with 452 passes behind Andre Warner’s 483 passes.
Working hard at accuracy and precision, the New Zealand native has operated in a much more significant role this season for the second seed in the Western Conference division.
“There’s a lot of skills involved, and, back home, just working on my core skills,” Renton said. “Trying to nail my craft. Obviously, you’ve got to be on your toes with the other two halfbacks as well. Just trying to keep on top of the stuff I do well and my abilities here.”
Renton, 27, played sparingly last season.
Back for his second season for the SaberCats, Renton has played 627 minutes in 14 appearances with five points on one try and two assists with 237 meters made. He had 34 passes last week in a loss to the Chicago Hounds.
“It’s taken a lot of time to get it right,” Renton said. “You can tell sometimes when I’m being lazy with the pass because it goes low or it goes high. The team is pretty quick to let me know if it’s a bad pass. So, just making sure I’m doing the best for my team.”
The SaberCats are back in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. They host Los Angeles on Sunday.
“We’re just worrying about ourselves,” Renton said. “We can’t worry too much about what’s outside of our control. I think we know our capabilities. I think we know how good we are and our fundamentals and stuff like that. I think if we bring it back to basics and just worry about us and control what we can control, then we’ll definitely be in it with a good shot.”
Previously with the Southland Stags, Renton has impressed his teammates with his handiwork.
“He’s bringing a lot of energy on the field,” Johan Momsen said. “As soon as he’s on the field, you can feel the tempo lift.”
