NEWS

Major League Rugby Semifinals Saturday Match Review

Written by Joe Harvey

Day one of the 2024 Major League Rugby Playoffs provided plenty of excitement.

There was a surprise win for the Dallas Jackals in the first Western Conference Semifinal, while the New England Free Jacks were forced to dig deep to beat Old Glory DC.

Here is how both fixtures played out…

NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS 33-29 OLD GLORY DC

Reigning champions, the New England Free Jacks survived a scare from Old Glory DC to progress to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 33-29 win.
Connor Buckley scored three tries for DC as they went toe-to-toe with New England in Massachusetts, and the boot of reigning MVP Jayson Potroz steered his team into next week.

It was the Free Jacks who opened the scoring at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Firing the ball to Paula Balekana on the left wing, the Fijian broke free on the flank before finding Reece Macdonald on his inside shoulder.

After Potroz added another three points from a penalty kick, Buckley would have his first try of the game when Tevita Naqali found his scrum-half in a flowing attacking move.

Soon the half-back had another as the quick thinking of Jason Robertson left the Free Jacks at odds.

A devastating break from the fly-half’s break made way for Lautaro Bavaro’s carry, who found Buckley with an offload to score.

Before the break, there was a joy for New England as Jed Melvin threw himself across the whitewash from close range and cut the deficit.

With half-time on the horizon, the Shield holders landed two hammer blows.
The first was another Potroz penalty and the second a try for Oscar Lennon made by the pinball running of Wayne van der Bank in midfield.

In the second half both teams proceeded with caution.

Following 15 minutes of play Buckley added his hat-trick score with a confident run, while Potroz and Robertson traded penalties to round out the
clash.

HOUSTON SABERCATS 22–34 DALLAS JACKALS

The Dallas Jackals marked their first-ever Playoff appearance with a 34-22 win against the Houston SaberCats.

A gritty 80-minute performance from the Jackals, the side registered five tries to land themselves a historic victory.

From minute one, the Jackals came out firing in the first half at SaberCats Stadium.

While the hosts may have scored first thanks to a well-struck AJ Alatimu penalty, Dallas would not be disheartened.
Ronan Foley rumbled over the try line after hard carries dented the Western Conference’s top-seed defense.

To keep the momentum a close-range score for Connor Winchester allowed the visitors a nine-point lead.

Against a team of Houston’s quality, Agustin Cavalieri’s Dallas found their resolve tested.

Tautalatasi Tasi’s endless drive to keep the ball in play helped Seimou Smith score the SaberCats’ first try of the game, and a confident carry from Louritz van der Schyff turned the tables for a time.

In response, Dallas took the first penalty awarded to them, got all three points from Juan Dee Oliver’s boot, and leveled the score.

Before half-time there was another twist in the tail as Tomas Cubilla finished off an impressive attack.

More cause for Dallas’s optimism followed in the second half.
With Gideon van Wyk in the sin bin for going in at the side, there was more space for the Jackals to exploit.

A try finally came when a failed clearance from Tasi was scooped up by Jackals back-row Sam Tuifua, whose offload to Jason Tidwell sent the Fort Worth native screeching over the try line.

With less than five minutes to play, Dallas secured a famous win.
Continuing to cause problems for Houston, a hacked ball through was latched onto by Oliver and placed down to send the SaberCats through to the Western Conference Finals.