Inside The Bubbling New England Free Jacks Pot With Andrew Quattrin

Written by Joe Harvey | Photo by Davey Wilson

New England Free Jacks head coach, Scott Mathie, describes his team as like a pot filled with water on top of the stove. With a 4-2 record, it is difficult to disagree with that assessment, the side’s most recent outing a defeat at the hands of the Utah Warriors in Salt Lake City, the water bubbling away at present but not quite raging over the brim.

Photo by Brenden Buckley

Even so, like they did for much of the 2022 season, the Free Jacks are at the head of the Eastern Conference. Leading the way, the Boston club was the side to beat last year, breaking records throughout the season, before being felled by Rugby New York in the East Conference Finals. In the hopes of going one step further, the staff in Quincy, Massachusetts, had to recruit cannily and prove to plenty that their year in the limelight was not a one-off. With Beaudein Waaka’s departure, the team’s General Manager, Tom Kindley, recruited New Zealander Jason Potroz as a series of other familiar names in North American rugby moved to the USA’s eastern coastline. Among a clutch of Canadians that now call Veteran’s Memorial Stadium home is Andrew Quattrin. A stalwart of the Toronto Arrows from their introduction to Major League Rugby in 2019, the Test hooker has already made his presence known in new colors. In February, the 26-year-old played his 50th game in the league and spoke to Major League Rugby about life with New England so far. https://twitter.com/usmlr/status/1629974406322585602 FOCUSING ON THEMSELVES “We are just about getting ready to blow,” Quattrin said, focusing on that boiling pot analogy. “We are getting there, we are showing moments of greatness, and we are just ready to go. “Which is the way I feel, with a lot of new guys just starting to learn to mesh with each other. The chemistry is building, and everyone can feel it. There is just going to be that game where it is like, ‘wow’, with all systems firing. “The mood is great, we know there is potential, we are working hard towards it, and it has been an awesome first couple of weeks here. We know there is still a lot of work still to be done, but it has been a really good few weeks. It is awesome.”

A season ago, New England set winning records and picked up the Coach and Player of the Year awards thanks to their efforts, but already in 2023 have had to show that they can win differently. Spates of injuries have meant that the side has been unable to find that consistency that helped turn them into staunch challengers for the MLR Shield, but while injuries have no doubt hindered the team, they still have four wins under their belt. Losses have come to Western Conference teams San Diego Legion and Utah Warriors, the most recent a 26-24 defeat at Zions Bank Stadium, but new possibilities come with a new round of action. This time out, the Chicago Hounds will be coming to Massachusetts in the hopes of gaining just their second win in franchise history after joining the competition this season. “That Chicago team is filled with skill, filled with big boys, and I think they are a team that can be dangerous in any passage of the game,” Quattrin said. “Bringing it back to us; we need to focus on us. Knowing that Chicago, anything can happen. I know there have been some weeks where there are some big threats in an opponent, knowing their historical form, but with Chicago being a new team, it is like, this is a good team filled with skilled players. They can bring anything, and let's focus on us and our systems.” SETTLING IN Quattrin is enjoying his new challenge. Already the hooker has gained a similar adoration from his supporters as he had while in Toronto. A top-quality international player, the 26-year-old has married his abilities on the field with a good character off it. That personality helped Quattrin to the S. Marcus Calloway Community Impact Award in 2022 in recognition of his work with his non-profit, Optimism Place. Coming to a new club for the first time in his professional rugby career, Quattrin is enamored with his new surroundings.

Photo by Brenden Buckley

“I think what’s super interesting is coming here to a huge sports market,” Quattrin said. “The Bruins, the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics, it is a massive market, and the fans are just behind it. Honestly, I am shocked. I just thought there would be a lot of saturation with those big four teams. “Walking through the Quincy Commons, I see this guy every day when we walk through. He works for the town and has his Free Jacks lid on. It would be so rare in Toronto. “It would happen, but I think it is amazing how the community of Quincy has encompassed Free Jacks fans. We are creating new rugby fans, which is awesome.” That same man in his Free Jacks hat told the side ahead of their trip to New York that it was a must-win game. The squad obliged, picking up an 18-33 win over their bitter rivals and coming home as heroes. https://twitter.com/usmlr/status/1637559484183887872 As the season is set to ruble on, Quattrin will likely play an increasingly important part in how the side fares. Settling into his new environment and home has gone well for the hooker, who is well and truly bought into what the side hopes to achieve this season and beyond. Earlier this week, The Rugby Network released the first episode of "Proven", a five-part docuseries following the New England Free Jacks through out the 2023 MLR season. The docuseries gives fans a chance to get to know Quattrin and his team their wins and losses and witness what it takes to compete at the highest level of professional rugby in North America.