By Aaron Wilson
Humble and deferential to his teammates and coaches, Houston SaberCats scrum-half Andre Warner was quick to deflect individual praise after a versatile performance against the San Diego Legion.
There was no denying, though, the major role the Major League Rugby veteran played in a dominant win over a previously undefeated Western Conference division rival.
Warner was named the Man of the Match as he had a try and contributed 72 passes.
Warner, also honored by MLR as a first-team XV selection, had 12 carries, four defenders beaten, two linebreak assists, the try, a try assist and seven tackles.
“As a Man of the Match, it means your forwards had a great game,” Warner said. “I think the boys stepped up big-time. We have awesome leaders. We tackled well. They’re a big, physical team. We have a lot of respect for San Diego. We knew we had to be physical, and we did it
Warner is an accomplished rugby player.
Signed a year ago as a replacement for Dillon Smit, Warner previously played for the Lions in South Africa and the French Pro D2 side Agen.
He made his senior provincial debut with the Blue Bulls in 2015 and moved up to Super Rugby two years later.
He then played for Stade Francaise in 2018 and the Bulls in 2019 and then the Lions.
Warner had missed time with a concussion. Now, he’s back and playing some big-time rugby for the 5-1 SaberCats.
“I missed a few games,” Warner said. “It’s great to be back out here with the boys.”
It was an International theme for the SaberCats, and Warner thoroughly enjoyed the interactions at the post-match social with fans.
“We have such a diverse team, it’s awesome,” Warner said. “We have a diverse fan group. It’s great.”
The SaberCats are back in action Saturday night at home against Rugby FC Los Angeles.
“They’re also a very good team,” Warner said. “Our approach has been to focus on ourselves. We’ll enjoy this victory and get back to work.”
