RUGBY NEW YORK TO HOST MLR CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL THANKS TO COMEBACK WIN OVER THE NEW ENGLAND FREE JACKS IN EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

Written by Joe Harvey | Photo by Getty Images

A game between these two northeast rivals was always going to be a tight affair. Veteran’s Memorial Stadium and the New England Free Jacks hosted playoff rugby for the first time on Sunday afternoon, as Rugby New York completed a 16-24 comeback win in Massachusetts.

In front of a healthy home crowd in Massachusetts, it was Scott Mathie’s Free Jacks who opened the scoring with a try. Coming as a result of a loose lineout ball from New York’s throw, Paula Balekana latching onto the ball, bringing his hard hitting back line teammates into the play, the move ending with Baudein Waaka powering over the try line.

Waaka would kick duly the conversion for his own try, leaving a frustrated New York to stew on their efforts. Consistently frustrated by the Free Jacks, Marty Veale’s team were unable to get on the scoreboard at the first time of asking, a Jason Emery penalty kick drifting wide of the posts.

It was a miss that would be compounded by a Waaka place kick in the minutes that followed. Continuing to push forward, the New Yorker’s efforts would bear fruit in the form of a try for the team’s captain, Benja Bonasso, the lock forward going over in the right corner after hard carries from Chance Wenglewski, Antonio Kiri Kiri and a Kara Pryor hooked pass over the final Free Jacks defender.

To end the half, Waaka and Emery would trade penalties, the scoreline reading 13-10 at the break. Whilst there were no more tries, that’s not to say there weren’t opportunities for each team, with both New England’s Balekana and New York’s Nick Civetta bundled into touch when they looked almost certain to score.

Waaka continued his success from the kicking tee with another penalty to resume the scoring in the second half, but as the clock got closer and closer toward the 80-minute mark, it was New York that seemed the most likely to book themselves in to host the Championship Final.

With 11 minutes left to play, former All Black, Nehe Milner-Skudder crossed the try line to help his team take the lead for the first time, a one-point advantage established thanks to Sam Windsor’s touchline conversion.

Andy Ellis’ pass from a Coe break was massively influential in the score, the Canadian international awarded the Player of the Match for his efforts in Quincy. With not much separating the two teams, New England’s chances of regaining the lead were dented by a yellow card for replacement lock, Reegan O’Gorman with less than 10 minutes on the clock.

With a little bit of extra space to exploit, New York put the game beyond doubt with a deserved try for Coe. Scoring on his left wing, the 26-year-old was the beneficiary of the hard carrying of his forward pack down the center of the field.

Examining the field, Ellis saw there was space out wide for his teammate to run down, distributing the ball to his fellow half-back Jack Heighton, who moved the ball on to Coe to score.

Again, Windsor would convert the try, New York kicking the ball out after regaining the ball following the kick-off. Ellis struck the ball into touch, much to the displeasure of the New England locals, but sending New York to their first Championship Final.