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San Francisco got their revenge on Saturday as they upset the San Diego Breakers on their home turf at Torero Stadium. Three tries and nine points from the boot of skipper Volney Rouse were enough to see the Rush through, despite a late charge from the Breakers to force a dramatic ending.
Central Washington lock Jérémy Lenaerts enjoyed his PRO Rugby debut as he crashed over on a hard line just nine minutes into the match to give San Francisco the lead. Kurt Morath replied with the boot, as he does, to put San Diego on the board, but the Rush were in a try-scoring mood. Multiple phases yielded space on the outside for Michael Haley to dive over, with the conversion making it a 14-3 game.
Morath and Rouse exchanged goals before Morath notched his third, but San Diego’s points came at a cost as scrumhalf Charlie Purdon was forced to leave the field with what looked like an injury around his eye. With no specialist halfback reserve, Zach Pangelinan moved up from fullback, but he too was forced to depart with damage to his lower leg. Kalei Konrad was next in line, and while continuity slipped at times the Breakers never wavered in their endeavour.
A try finally game to Ben Leatigaga, whose jet shoes propelled him to the line after a long cut-out pass from Konrad found the winger in space. San Diego stayed in it but lost another key player when Tai Tuisamoa trudged off reluctantly with a clearly affected shoulder. San Francisco found some spare fuel at last and the offload game that has come to define their attack came through again. Bill Fukofuka’s long arm reached out of a half-tackle to pop the ball on an onrushing David Tameilau, and the big man skipped through the cover to dot down under the posts.
The dancing shoes of Pono Haitsuka made things interesting after a lovely inside ball from Morath put the flying winger clear through a gap. Haitsuka’s arc took him outside the first wave and a neat juke off the right best the cover as he dove into the corner for the try. Morath couldn’t make good on the tricky conversion, and the Breakers couldn’t find their way to the line again before the final whistle.
San Diego thankfully have a week off to recuperate and try to piece together a full squad for their trip to Ohio on July 3. San Francisco meanwhile are on their first ever winning streak, and will look to make it three as they land in Memorial Park next Sunday.
SAN DIEGO 19
Tries – B. Leatigaga (50), P. Haitsuka (77)
Pens – K. Morath 3 (14, 28, 34)
Yellow cards – S. Tu’ihalamaka (6)
SAN FRANCISCO 24
Tries – J. Lenaerts (9), M. Haley (21), D. Tameilau (68)
Cons – V. Rouse 3 (10, 22, 69)
Pens – V. Rouse (31)
SAN DIEGO BREAKERS
1 Mason Pedersen 2 Mike Sosene-Feagai 3 Epeli Kalemani 4 David Dolinar 5 Tai Tuisamoa 6 Chris Turori 7 Cecil Garber 8 Sione Tu’ihalamaka 9 Charlie Purdon 10 Kurt Morath 11 Ben Leatigaga 12 Phil Mackenzie (capt.) 13 Ryan Matyas 14 Pono Haitsuka 15 Zach Pangelinan
16 Kakalea Pule 17 Brice Schilling 18 Ian Carpenter 19 Nikola Bursic 20 Bruce Thomas 21 Derrick Broussard 22 Kalei Konrad 23 Tim Stanfill
SAN FRANCISCO RUSH
1 Codi Jones 2 Patrick Latu 3 Fancy Namulau’ulu 4 Brendan Daly 5 Jérémy Lenaerts 6 Sam Finau 7 Isaac Helu 8 Bill Fukofuka 9 Michael Reid 10 Volney Rouse (capt.) 11 Jake Anderson 12 Orene Ai’i 13 Mils Muliaina 14 Michael Haley 15 Martini Talapusi
16 Jacob Finau 17 Niko Lolohea 18 Saimone Laulaupea’alu 19 David Tameilau 20 Siupeli Sakalia 21 Devereaux Ferris 22 Junior Helu 23 Jack O’Hara
Referee: Nick Ricono
Assistants: Leah Berard & Derek Summers
