NEWS

Round Three Recap

WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER DIEGEL FOR THE RUGBY NETWORK

The first week of the MLR season was defined by tight scores across the league. Week Two by dramatic comebacks and a couple of 50+ point explosions. This weekend’s action saw teams shoot up and down the standings.

Catch up on all the action below.

New England Free Jacks Hold off Utah Warriors to Claim Important Victory

The New England Free Jacks shot up the standings in the Eastern Conference with a huge home victory over the league-leading Utah Warriors. After struggling with ill discipline and cards for the first two weeks of the season, the Free Jacks cleaned things up and needed the contributions from every player, as it held off a valiant Warriors’ comeback bid to capture the 22-21 win.

After 26 minutes spent exchanging body blows, the Free Jacks scored first on a penalty kick Beaudein Waaka. Utah came right back four minutes later when wing Josh Whippy struck with a beautiful chip and recovery. After an offload to flanker Bailey Wilson, the ball came back to Whippy to score it himself after the piece of midfield brilliance. Fly half Hagen Schulte’s conversion made it 7-3 Utah with ten minutes to go in the first half.

New England seized the lead and momentum by closing out the first half on an 8-0 run via an unconverted try and second penalty kick. Just two minutes into the second stand, New England extended the advantage and put the Warriors on notice with its third try, this one from Dougie Fife after a Utah penalty put the Free Jacks in attacking position. The conversion was no good but two more penalty kicks put New England in control, 22-7.

The Warriors’ backs were against the wall but this team would not go quietly into the night. A penalty try awarded amidst the driving Utah maul closed the gap with plenty of time to play at 65’. Utah needed all 15 of those minutes to score again, however, and Mikey Teo’s try at 80’ was key, even if the conversion still saw victory go New England’s way, 22-21.

The result proved valuable for both teams. By picking up the bonus point in defeat, Utah moved on top of the league standings. Idle LA now trails the Warriors 11 league points to 10. The victory for New England shot the Free Jacks all the way up to second in the Eastern Conference, a point behind Atlanta and one ahead of NOLA, who also had a bye.

The Free Jacks now head into its own bye week full of confidence at 2-1. The team weathered a tough two-game road trip to start the season before defending home turf on debut at Union Point Stadium. Utah hosts Seattle next week in what will be an important Western Conference clash.

Arrows Up for Toronto in Dominant Victory over Old Glory

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Toronto Arrows looked a far cry from the 2020 version that led the Eastern Conference. Sitting at the bottom of the standings with one league point, things looked bleak as the team headed to play an Old Glory squad coming off a big home victory from the week before.

Toronto quickly flipped the script with a try from prop Tyler Rowland just 11 minutes into the match. The Arrows took firm grasp of the early momentum two minutes later when #8 Manuel Diana picked from the back of the ruck off a break, broke a tackle, and bowled through for the score. Fly half Taylor Adams nailed this conversion to make it 12-0. Adams was good again with a penalty kick at 19’ to extend the lead to 15-0 just before the first hydration break.

Old Glory needed the breather and the defense held Toronto off the scoreboard for the next 20 minutes before the offense finally struck just before halftime. Captain Thretton Palamo took “crash ball” literally and laid waste to defenders on his way over the try line. DC tried to play the kickoff out of its own end, however, and turned it over in stoppage time. Adams hit a drop goal to end the first stand with his team up 18-7.

The home team was in a similar situation a week ago before a dramatic comeback delivered victory. Toronto squashed that notion early with a try just after the break. Lesage found the gap in the defense and scored under the posts to make it 25-7.

Old Glory gave itself a chance by closing the gap to 25-12 with plenty of time to play at 59’. The Arrows delivered the knockout punch moments later, however, as some good pursuit and a nifty pop off the ground eventually found its way to wing Gaston Mieres. Toronto ran the score up to 37-12 before DC responded. A last-minute penalty kick from Toronto brought the match to its final line, 40-19.

The result drops Old Glory to fifth in the East, while Toronto rejoins the fray in the thick of things at 4th with six league points. Old Glory enters its bye at a good time, while Toronto has a tough task against the LA Giltinis in Week Four.

Rugby ATL Batters San Diego Legion En Route to 41-22 Victory

Rugby ATL has looked great in spurts to start the 2021 season, but put a true 80-minute performance on display Saturday night. Things started well enough for San Diego with an early unconverted try from wing Bjorn Basson. Atlanta came right back with a converted score, then a penalty kick put the lead back in the Legion’s hand, 8-7.

Flanker Psalm Wooching, who had a standout day with signature power runs, scored and the Legion looked to be off and running with a 15-7 lead following the conversion. However, two penalty kicks and an unconverted try saw the home team close the first half on an 11-0 run to head into the break up 18-15.

Atlanta blew a ten-point second half lead a week ago, but an early statement said there would be no comeback on this day. Reserve wing Martini Talapusi made an immediate impact with an interception try one minute into the second half. ATL’s physicality and aggressive forward pack proved too much from there, as that first score fueled a 23-0 second half run to seal the match.

San Diego’s Dyland Audsley ended the game with an impressive burst at 78’ to mark the game’s final score, 41-22.

The win thrust Rugby ATL all the way to the top of the leaderboard in the Eastern Conference ahead of its Week Four bye. San Diego slid to fourth in the west and has to hope the debut of Chris Robshaw can spark some improved performances. Robshaw is eligible to return from suspension next week versus the Houston Sabercats.

Sabercats Toothless in Second Straight Shutout Loss

The Austin Gilgronis handed the Houston Sabercats a 26-0 loss as it won the latest rendition of the Texas Cup. Austin struck first 11 minutes in with a maul dotted down by hooker Mason Koch, who was on his way to a Man of the Match performance.

Koch scored again 15 minutes later at the back of another maul on the left side that looked like a replay of the first. Big “Whoppa” Jamie Mackintosh scored next at 30’ in an absolutely dominant day from the Austin forwards.

The 19-0 score held until the final moments. The Austinn forwards drove meters away from the Houston line once again, but his time the backs had their numbers called as the ball went wide to #14 Rodrick Waters for the score.

This was an important win for a Gilgronis squad that now finds itself in the middle of the Western Conference with six league points. Austin started the year with two narrow losses. For a team that has spent the majority of its existence near the bottom of the league standings, this talented squad simply needs to learn how to win. With a strong victory in hand, Austin will now test itself against a strong NOLA Gold team.

Houston has to do some soul searching and fast. After an impressive Week One victory over Seattle the team has now gone 160 minutes without a point. Things don’t get any easier as the team next hosts a San Diego Legion squad that will be hungry after a loss of its own.