Dolan scores hat trick as NOLA blitz Old Glory

Old Glory DC were given a rude welcoming to Major League Rugby as the NOLA Gold scored seven tries en route to a one-sided 46-13 win at The Gold Mine on Saturday. Cam Dolan led the way for the home side with a hat trick, while Moni Tonga’uiha added a double.

Central to NOLA’s win was a completely dominant scrum that earned several penalties. DC were absent international front rowers Tendai Mtawarira and Mike Sosene-Feagai but it remains to be seen if they alone can stop the demoralising retreat.

The signs were ominous from the beginning. Old Glory were shove backwards on their own line with Dolan falling over for the first try easy as you like. The visitors collected under the posts but would come up with no answers for their ailing set piece.

Gordon Fullerton was sent to the bin for a dangerous challenge on Holden Yungert that saw the scrumhalf replaced by Ross Depperschmidt. NOLA were forced to shuffle their backline but were otherwise unphased and would score a second try seconds after play resumed. Dolan broke from the scrum and when he was stopped short Malcolm May was there to finish from close range.

Discipline will be one talking point for the Gold during the week with three yellow cards conceded. May’s no-arms tackle landed him a seat beside Fullerton and Jason Robertson knocked over the resulting penalty opportunity. Just a couple minutes later Robertson’s cross-kick found a wide-open Doug Fraser for the first MLR try in Old Glory’s brief history.

DC would do no more celebrating until nearly full-time. The Gold attack turned it on and once again it was Dolan coming inches short. This time Robbie Coleman, now playing flyhalf, spun the ball wide to an unmarked Moni Tonga’uiha loitering on the wing to canter in for try number three. Carl Meyer missed the conversion but landed a penalty to give NOLA a commanding 22-8 lead at the intermission.

Nate Osborne sent on fresh legs to start the second half and within a minute Tonga’uiha was over again. Renata Roberts-Te Nana’s intercept attempt fell free and the Gold No6 scooped and stepped back across the defense for a fine individual effort.

Dolan’s second was almost identical to his first with the scrum advancing at will. Julián Domínguez was next in on the act. Coleman’s stabbing grubber in behind the defense was snatched up by the Argentine winger who had the strength to shrug off two would-be tacklers before diving in for a try on debut.

Brief respite was offered when Lindsey Stevens was shown yellow for repeat team infringements but it only delayed the inevitable. Once back to full strength the Gold pinned Old Glory deep in their end and a bobbled lineout steal fell kindly for Dolan to complete his banner day.

With time winding down more ill-discipline resulted in Nikola Bursic being sent for an early shower. This time Old Glory capitalised on the man advantage. Dylan Taikato-Simpson took a page out of Robertson’s book and found Mike Dabulas in space with the cross-kick just seconds before the final whistle.

The Gold will stay at home this week and roll out the red carpet for another expansion side as Rugby ATL arrives on Sunday. Old Glory will be rolling up their sleeves with much work to be done ahead of their home opener against the defending champion Seattle Seawolves, also on Sunday.

 

SCORING

NOLA 46
Tries – C. Dolan 3 (12’, 53’, 73’), M. May (22’), M. Tonga’uiha 2 (34’, 41’), J. Dominguez (57’)
Cons – C. Meyer 4/7 (13’, 23’, 42’, 54’)
Pens – C. Meyer 1/1 (40’)
Yellow cards – M. May (25’), L. Stevens (60’), N. Bursic (75’)

OLD GLORY 13
Tries – D. Fraser (30’), M. Dabulas (79’)
Cons – J. Robertson 0/2
Pens – J. Robertson 1/1 (26’)
Yellow cards – G. Fullerton (22’)

 

TEAMS

NOLA GOLD
1 Matt Harmon (17 Kevin Sullivan 54’), 2 Eric Howard (16 Lindsey Stevens HT), 3 Dino Waldren (18 Ben Tarr HT), 4 Ignacio Dotti, 5 Kyle Baillie (capt.) (19 Billy Stewart 58’), 6 Moni Tonga’uiha (20 Nikola Bursic 58’), 7 Malcolm May (21 Kevin O’Connor 54’), 8 Cam Dolan, 9 Holden Yungert (22 Ross Depperschmidt 22’), 10 Scott Gale, 11 Julián Domínguez (23 Shawn Riley 70’), 12 Con Foley, 13 Carl Meyer, 14 Tim Maupin, 15 Robbie Coleman

OLD GLORY DC
1 Jake Turnbull, 2 Max Lum (16 Dante Lopresti 74’), 3 Gordon Fullerton (18 Will Vakalahi 54’), 4 Tevita Naqali, 5 Api Naikatini (23 Dylan Pieterse 61’), 6 Travis Larsen (18 Will Vakalahi 22’-32’) (20 Matt Hughston 51’), 7 Mungo Mason (co-capt.), 8 Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz (19 Jack McLean 61’), 9 Danny Tusitala, 10 Jason Robertson, 11 Renata Roberts-Te Nana, 12 Ciaran Hearn, 13 Thretton Palamo (co-capt.) (22 Mike Dabulas 66’), 14 Doug Fraser, 15 Dylan Taikato-Simpson

Not used: 17 Khalid Williams, 21 Michael Reid

 

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Luke Rogan (USA)
Assistants: Moe Chaudhry (Canada) & Allen Alongi (USA)